A Tale of Two Amōris
by CherrySlushLover
Summary: Clary Fray is finally introduced to the elusive Jace Wayland, the leader of the Shadowhunter clique. The bad boy is an enigma she never expected to understand; he may have finally met his match in the fiery girl. But when a factor neither of them expected comes into play, how will they react? Bets, lessons, late night shenanigans; still they're in denial. Clace. Sizzy. Malec. Jaia.
1. A Tale Of Unconventional Introductions

**Summary: Clary Fray is finally introduced to the elusive Jace Wayland, the leader of the Shadowhunter cult. Their worlds are two spheres that do not touch yet they find themselves seeking comfort in each other. But is it a smart move to build a friendship with a person who is full of secrets? Will Clary ever find out what Jace is so adamant on hiding from her? Canon couples- Clace, Sizzy, Malec.**

**All Mundane ;D**

**There will be a few Doctor Who references but it'll only be with the trivial things! :D**

**For those who've read this chapter before, I think it's best you read it against since I've added around another 600 words to it...mostly the ending.**

**And without further ado, enjoy!**

**Amōris means lovers in Latin...**

_**A massive thank you to my amazing beta, booklover434 who beta-ed both my stories so quickly! Thank you and keep being awesome! XD**_

**Disclaimer: I own this plot but the one thing I really wanted- Jace- belongs to Cassie Clare! Ignore me whilst I sob pitifully...**

**A Tale of Two Amōris**

_**Chapter One: A Tale of Unconventional Introductions**_

Sometimes you meet a person and feel like you've known all your life. An instant connection and you know you're going to spend the rest of your life with them- it's inevitable.

When I first met Jace Wayland, I may have felt all those things but if I had, it was quickly replaced by another feeling as soon as he spoke. After I crashed into him that is.

"I understand it's hard to see when all that red," he said, indicating my hair, "blinds you, but you could at least attempt to watch where you're going."

Knowing I was probably nearly as red as the hair he had been indicating, I averted my gaze, focusing instead on picking up the lyric book Simon Lewis (aka my best friend and member of WhovianWanderer) had begged me to bring over after he had forgotten to take it with him. Without even looking at him, I could envision the smirk that was crossing his face as he believed that I was yet another girl who got too tongue-tied to speak in his presence and would therefore forgive him as soon as he flashed them a smile.

I stood up defiantly, and my assumption was proven right. "And I know your big head probably gets in the way of your sight but you don't see me complaining, do you?" I retorted, glaring at him as I finally got back on my feet. He may have looked like an angel with his golden hair, golden eyes, and tan but his personality was definitely not golden. I had been minding my own business and it was his fault for walking into me. Simon might think I was a pushover, but I was going to prove him wrong. I hated myself for admiring how the sun glinting off his hair made him seem like the ethereal being that I had drawn had come to life. He may have looked like an angel; his personality was anything but.

"There is a reason for my bigheadedness," Mr Nameless laughed, gesturing to himself.

"I highly doubt you could conjure up an excuse for your pigheadedness too though," I scoffed, "And as much as I would love to stay talking to you, I have places to be. And even if I hadn't, I would rather be anywhere than here. I would love to say it's been a pleasure, but it really hasn't."

"It was a pleasure for me," He smirked. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets, a flicker of...something went through his eyes as he looked at me. If I didn't know any better, I would have said it was recognition, but I was almost certain I would've remembered if I had met him. Despite our more than unsatisfactory start, I wanted to inquire whether he was okay, whether there was a reason behind the dark circles beneath his eyes, the slightly unkempt look of his jacket and sweatpants, as though he'd just thrown them on to get away from something, to run away from something.

But he had no right to make me feel like that when he was still potentially a stranger.

Huffing, I spun round, walking away. The air hung heavy with the promise of rain and knowing my hair would frizz as soon as it started drizzling, I hurried forward but luck was clearly not on my side. As soon as I had walked four steps away from Mr. Nameless, it didn't start to drizzle, it poured. I contemplated holding Simon's rucksack over my head, but decide against it, knowing I would hate myself forever if his lyrics-no matter how silly they were- got ruined.

A red Mercedes convertible chugged along beside me, going intentionally slow. I stiffened as the memories of that night bombarded me starting from how well it had been going to how it had ended with my mum's tear-stricken face pleading with me not to tell anyone. Jon's eyes going black with rage as he was restrained by the police after he tried to make them pay for what they had done. I was too young to even know who they were and that was hadn't changed: my mother refused to talk about that night with me, preferring to keep me in the dark. Without even realizing, I was sprinting ahead at full speed, as though physical distance from the car could make me distance myself from the memories in the same way people boxed them up in their minds.

I stuttered to a halt as I heard my name being called and turned to see Mr. Nameless skidding to a halt just in time to not run into me. Actually, the word skidded was inept to describe what he had done as none of his actions were graceless. I would have said he had glided to a halt but that not only sounded phony, it also sounded as though I was losing my mind. He ran a hand through his tousled hair: if the story of Rumpelstiltskin was real, I would have said his hair was spun gold.

Wait...

"How do you know my name?" I asked suspiciously.

"It was on the front of your folder." He replied bluntly, holding out the folder.

I snatched my folder containing all my drawings out of his hands, pushing it swiftly but neatly into Simon's rucksack, scared to open it to check if they were wet in front of this stranger. The pencil sketchings smudged easily but no one ever saw my drawings so I would just check later; it was the equivalent of a diary for me.

"Did you look inside it?" I continued walking, trusting he would follow.

"Of course not." He sounded affronted that I would think that lowly of him. "Anyway, it didn't really hold much interest for me."

"It would if I drew naked women," I snorted.

"Somehow I don't think you do, Red." He appraised me and pulled one of my braids. "Nope, definitely not."

"Is there an actual need for you following me or are you just doing it to be an jerkbag?"

"Nope," he answered, whistling softly, "I'm actually being the total opposite of a jerk and meeting my sister to pick her up from her flirting party."

"There's such a thing as flirting parties?" I asked dubiously.

"Apparently so."

My hair was officially ruined even before I saw Kyle and I was sure I looked worse than a drowned kitten who had previously been ugly. The scent of pine and wet leaves enveloped me and memories of a younger, more innocent childhood came back, when mum took us to the meadow my father had proposed to her in. An automatic smile crossed my face and Mr. Jerk, as I had decided to call him, gazed down at me curiously. Waiting for his comment, I grew surprised when none came, but in the short time I had known him, I knew he was full of unpredictableness. Wow, that sentence didn't even make sense to me which showed the expanse of the effect of his eyes on me.

After a few more moments of silence, I spoke again realizing my earlier predicament could easily be answered. "I didn't get your name."

"Because I didn't tell you. I was always told to beware of strangers, especially ones who knock you over," he grinned, ducking quickly away from me as though I would hit him. I was sorely tempted, yet as he had pointed out, we were still technically strangers.

"I'm Jace," he said shortly after.

"Just Jace?"

"Just Jace."

"Okay, so now you're being mysterious. I should have figured," I muttered, pulling the studio door open finally.

"Figured what? How gorgeous I am?"

It also figured that he only caught the last part of my sentence.

"Clary!" Simon shrieked, falling to my feet. "I could kiss you right now; you are seriously my saviour."

After noticing I had company, he pulled me aside. "Why the hell is Jace Wayland with you? I thought they didn't fraternize with just anyone," he hissed.

He was Jace Wayland? No wonder he was arrogant.

Oh no. I had just called the Jace Wayland a pigheaded jerk.

But looking over at his smirking figure now, I couldn't bring myself to regret it. He needed to be pulled down a peg or two. As though sensing that someone was watching him, he stood taller than his 6ft 2" and lounged against the door which shut, leaving us in darkness. If I was superstitious, I would have said it was a sign of impending doom but Izzy's prompt arrival with a torch was definitely scarier.

With her hair that was as dark as midnight and eyes to match, it really was no wonder I jumped a little at the sight of her fully black-clad body. They may not share looks, but Jace and Iz definitely shared the same wardrobe taste.

"You're already here, ass," came her loving welcome.

I grew affronted slightly until I noticed her steely gaze fixed on Jace.

"And what a fine ass it is. And can't I come to pick up my sister early?"

"Jace, you're always late. And can you attempt to not talk about your body parts in front of me? It's cringy."

"Cringy?" He replied, bemused.

I swear, it was as though Simon and I weren't even there anymore and with my fiery red hair, I was extremely difficult to miss even if I was short.

"Clary made it up," she shrugged. "It stuck, I guess."

"Yeah, her words tend to stick to my jerkbaggy self," he remarked dryly, throwing me an amused glance. I grinned slightly at the memory and was about to reply when the lights turned back on.

Walking into the main rehearsal hall, I took my sketchpad out of Simon's rucksack and made to take a seat as far from the stage as possible.

"Why is Jace Wayland here for?" cried Eric.

Oh, by the Doctor.

"You can stop brandishing your book as a weapon now. Unless you want to use it for something else," Jace trailed off suggestively.

Sighing in annoyance, I glowered at him until he looked a little contrite. But Eric, Simon, and Izzy had all got one thing right.

Why was Jace here? Why was a Shadowhunter mixing with us? He was infamous for his treatment of Mundanes (non-Shadowhunters) so what was so special about us? What was so special about me?

**I hope you enjoyed that! **

**And I would love ideas for Simon's band names because as much as I love them, they are hard to come up with! And remember, this is an All Mundane fanfiction; Shadowhuntersis the name of the cult Jace belongs to and that's all I'm saying about it for now! Since this is only the first chapter and more like an introduction to the story, it is shorter in length than my usual chapters but the following chapters will be definitely longer. This is my first shot at an actual full story for Mortal Instruments series so I would appreciate feedback... it helps me understand what you want to read more of and what was a total fail! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. XD**

**Jace mutters in the background, "I'm in it. How can they not enjoy it?"**

**Clary slaps his overly large head.**

**Much love to all my readers,**

**CherrySlushLover**

**xxx**


	2. A Tale of Instrumental Torture

**A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful love; you have all been so welcoming to me in this fandom!**

**A huge thanks to my awesome beta, VampiressBeauty20 who did this literally within an hour (amazing, right!) because I never would have been as confident with this story without her! XD**

**Disclaimer: "Did I ever claim to be Cassie? I think not!" I shouted angrily at the cops. I had no idea why they kept turning up...**

**A Tale of Two Amoris**

**Chapter Two: A Tale of Instrumental Torture**

The sad sound of instruments being tortured yet again pulled me out of my trance and I hurriedly crossed the room to get to Simon. Kyle stood at the front in all his glory, looking like a rock star whilst the rest stood on the sidelines with faces that vaguely resembled the characters from _Misfits._ Simon had always denied looking like the Nathan Young but in the dim lighting, I could definitely see a resemblance. Unceremoniously dumping his guitar on the floor, he jumped off the stage and rolled up his sleeves with one fluid movement. I blinked rapidly, still growing accustomed to his suddenly amazing coordination.

"If you don't stop staring soon, I'm going to believe that you have a crush on me," Simon deadpanned.

Jace snorted softly in the background. "As though anyone would have a crush on you, rat."

"Yeah, and they're killing themselves to be with you," Simon retorted.

"Actually, they are."

With Jace's heavenly good looks, this news was unsurprising and I fully agreed that Simon had walked straight into that one. Victory was Jace's until Simon stepped on forbidden territory. "That's because they don't know who you are."

Isabelle and I waited with bated breath for the light bulbs to burst or something equally devastating to happen as Jace's forehead crinkled slightly, but it in no way marred his looks. The silence was heavy as they locked on to each other in a showdown and the atmosphere would've easily been cut through with a blunt knife.

But the reply came as quick as all of his others had. "They don't need to know who I am to love me. I'm just that irresistible."

Growing frustrated at the way my question had so easily been pushed aside with their exchange, I huffed.

"Did you seriously just stomp your foot?" Jace wondered incredulously.

Ignoring him, I pulled Simon aside and attempted to get back on track. "Simon, you're supposed to be impressing Izzy with your brilliant music, not killing her. And talking to her brother like that is seriously not helping either! I told you that it would've been better doing something else. "

"We're not that bad," he argued, but took back his words a second later upon seeing my expression. "And it's not my fault I didn't predict Jace was going to turn up! Do the Shadowhunters ever mix with us?"

His question proved to be a fair point as I snuck a quick look over at the golden boy who was lounging in an armchair, perfecting the look of looking disinterested and attentive simultaneously. If I was in a more contemplative state, I would've said he was eavesdropping but I was sure the distance between us made that impossible. Simon's question had actually been bothering me from the time I had discovered who Jace was and I was in a hurry to change that. What could have possibly induced him to not only walk with me to band practice (even if Izzy was here) and stay during practice? He had constantly thrown around comments made to offend but hadn't found it within himself to leave and explore the surrounding blocks for a while. I understood that he was waiting for Izzy but the girl in question had already clarified we would be here for the minimum of another five hours. Why hadn't he left? And if he was indeed Izzy's ride, where was his car?

But for the first time in a long time I didn't want Simon to know what I was thinking. Instead, I shrugged off his question with a, "Like I know. And I still think it's in your best interest to stop practicing."

Running a hand through his dark hair, he returned to stage to convey my words to the band members. I collapsed into an empty seat besides Jace, hoping that this had signaled the end of my torture.

"Tired?" Jace prodded.

"I'm fine."

"No one can be just fine in my company; anything less than spectacular means there's something wrong," he insisted.

I looked over to glare at him but couldn't muster up the energy to do so, substituting it for a scowl in his general direction instead. "My drawings are all smudged from this morning when you banged into me."

"Actually, you'll find it was the opposite way round. You were the one not conscious of their surroundings which was why I was subjected to this afternoon of torture."

My fingers clenched into a fist in my lap but not out of anger, I realised. They were shaking with the urge to draw. Startled, I drew out my now empty drawing pad, my fingers automatically curling around the sketching pencil along side it. I could sense Jace's eyes laying on me curiously but my concentration was entirely on the paper and what my mind wanted me to see. Some people relied on music to pull them through, some used writing, but drawing was that equivalent for me. The pencil flowed across the paper smoothly without a break and though I knew I made a conscious decision to add the lines, it felt as though my reactions were automatic. The picture once I had run out of steam was simple but it managed to elicit a strong reaction out of Jace.

He froze, his limbs stiffening into a rigid upright posture as he pointed at my sketch pad.

"Where did you see that?"

I frowned, unsure what he was talking about. "The park?"

Because that was exactly what I had drawn. Central Park had become a familiar haunt of mine ever since the incident occurred and the sketching was one of a bench hidden away behind large Oaks. It was invisible from most perspectives and was therefore unoccupied every time I had visited but that was why I cherished it. It was my private spot to think and get away from the world without having to worry about anyone else.

"Who are the people in the shadows that you've sketched?" He was slowly growing restless as he waited for my answer; I felt my mouth go dry as I studied the picture again.

Though the detail was light, I had drawn three shadowy figures standing around a crouching one, their posture clearly meant to be intimidating. The crouching one seemed to display the nervous habit of peeing when frightened but on closer inspection, I found him to be carrying a scroll of some kind.

Jace's impassive face as I looked up showed that he needed no answer from me since my reaction had been enough but I voiced it anyway. "They're Shadowhunters."

He relaxed considerably and I assumed it was because I hadn't lied to him. With the sudden change in his attitude, the most blatant thing had vanished and I turned to him straightaway, furious. "I thought I made it clear that my drawings are private?" I hissed.

Although I was generally a placid person, there were two things that got me annoyed really quickly: Other people being belittled and having my privacy invaded. For example, other people (no matter how angelic-looking they were) viewing my work.

His slightly contrite expression made it obvious he knew he had crossed a line and he brushed a hand over his jaw, muttering a swift apology. If I was even at least the slightest bit shocked earlier, it was nothing compared to how I felt now. I didn't think Jace ever apologized and especially not to the girl who had 'subjected him to an afternoon of torture'.

Feeling a bout of courage well up inside me from his response, I asked, "Why are you staying here when Izzy said you were free to leave for a while?"

His smirk reappeared but his reply was serious. "To bless you with my company, of course."

I folded my arms, indicating that there was no way I would take that as an answer.

"Let's just say I'm avoiding someone."

"Strange. I always had you pinned down as someone who jumps into everything without thinking."

"Why are you talking about pinning Jace down, Clary?" Simon had successfully managed to sneak up on us-well, me. Jace looked mildly annoyed and amused but not startled.

"I'm not pinning anyone down, Simon. And I'm glad you took my advice, Simon." I stood up and slid my sketch pad into my bag hastily, an action that wasn't missed by the ever-observant Jace but other than raising an eyebrow, he stayed out of it.

"Yeah, Iz and me"

"Izzy and I," Jace and I corrected simultaneously.

"I think you're spending too much time with the Shadowhunter, Clary. It's frightening how alike you two look now," Simon mused, standing back to get a better view of us.

"I thought you would've been to the disgusted and identical looks of horror people around you, bloodsucker," Jace smirked.

"Alright, cut it out. Why are you both so intent on hating each other?" I didn't particularly want a repeat performance of their earlier battle of wits, frightened Simon was going to end up with a bloody lip soon enough. "And I meant that as a rhetorical question," I added on quickly, as they opened their mouths to retort.

"Clary, you've got the keys. Lock up please. And tell the person sat next to you that it's sister is catching a ride with me so it'll have to drop you off," Simon continued stubbornly.

Flashing Jace a glance to keep him quiet, I pulled Simon aside. Again. "I thought you were taking me. You know how protective mum is!"

"Considering how chummy you were with Jace, I think I'm doing you a favour by leaving you alone for a bit. And I can't turn Isabelle down either! I promise I won't wipe the floor with you next time we play COD. Please?"

"I don't need you to go easy on me! I was ill last time we played and that's the only reason my aim was off! But fine, I'll lock up," I said, finally giving in. Not that it had taken much.

He kissed my cheek fleetingly, his lips curved up in victory before calling to the rest of the band and leaving. Jace stood carefully as though he was fragile and I thought back to the slight hitch I had noticed in his walk earlier. It was carefully disguised but it was still there. Knowing the rumours that surrounded the Shadowhunters and the jobs they were supposed to do, it could have easily passed as a training injury but recalling his words that he was avoiding someone, I declared that to be wrong.

He appeared to be in a fight of some sort.

"Are you sure your boyfriend won't get jealous with all the attention you're paying me," he said wryly, walking over to me.

I hadn't noticed before but with Jace in such near proximity to me, I finally understood why it was really annoying and hard to be short. I came up to his chest which was covered mercifully by a black t-shirt and leather jacket. Heat radiated off him and I stumbled back, my cheeks flaming, but only coming into contact with the wall. "What boyfriend?"

"I'm sure the rat would be offended that he was so easily forgotten." Jace took a step closer, placing a hand to either side of me, effectively trapping me. He leaned down, his face mere inches from mine. "But it's interesting that he's been forgotten so quickly."

His words instantly made me back up and I stood taller, placing my hand firmly on his chest and pushing. Maybe it was because he was puzzled or maybe because he wanted me to believe that I had the upper hand, Jace moved and I scrambled away from him, instantly on the defensive. "For the last time, Simon is not a rat! And he's not my boyfriend either! I'm single!" I was briefly tempted to mention Simon's crush on Izzy but the feeling passed almost as soon as it had come.

"Is that an invitation I hear?"

"What? No, definitely not!"

"You sound defensive, Red."

"I am not defensive, I just don't want to agree with anything your small brain comes up with!"

"Definitely defensive," he noted, pulling back.

I trudged off towards the door, grabbing the keys hastily from my bag so I could lock up. Without looking back to see if he was following, I walked into the night, twisting neatly to twist the key in the lock. It jammed slightly and I tugged on it, forcing it to comply with me.

"Are you trying to get rid of me? Because that has never happened before," Jace swung in neatly, pulling me back inside to him.

The door shut behind me with a definitive click and I gasped in horror.

"What?"

"The key was in the door. On the other side. And now it's locked," I wailed. "How am I going to stay with you here?"

"I'm sure we'll manage." He winked and switched the lights back on, pulling me to the stage.

His knee gave way under him and he stumbled ever so slightly before standing again, determined to not show any weakness.

"Jace! Sit down!" I pushed him into a chair and pulled his trousers up, revealing a dark gash that stretched from his knee to mid-calf. I glanced up at him and shook my head at the excuse that was sure to come. There was no way he had just 'hurt' this. Someone had intentionally wounded him.

"I'll go find the first-aid kit," I said hurriedly. And that was when the lights conveniently switched off. Great. This had to be one of those meter-running buildings.

"Um, Jace? We have no electricity for another twelve hours and no food that I know of. I'm going to try opening that front door."

No answer.

**Some references were made to the sitcom Misfits at the beginning so let me just clarify that: Robert Sheehan (the guy that plays Simon in the movies) actually played Nathan Young in this series, so I thought it'd be funny to mention...yes, I'm clearly hilarious! :D**

**Anyways, where has Jace gone? And that mysterious drawing of Clary's really got Jace...angry? Suspicious? Annoyed? We just don't know! All your love means the universe to me so thanks again! Updates on this story should be every Monday, or would you prefer another day? And if you liked this, check out my other TMI fic, The Thin Line Between Love and Hate. **

**My eternal gratitude and love,**

**CherrySlushLover**

**xxx**


	3. A Tale of Locked Hearts

**Huge thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far especially emy-twilight09, bookaddict223, and faithful reader! You followed me from my other dtory to here, so thank you so much! You are awesome, as are all my other reviewers! :)**

**The big hug and stash of cookies go to my fabulous beta: booklover484!**

**Disclaimer: Is it mandatory to add this on each chapter? I. Do. Not. Own. The. Mortal. Instruments. Or. Jace.**

**A Tale of Two Amōris**

**Chapter Three: A Tale of Locked Hearts**

I crept back the way I had walked, over to where I had left Jace. Blinking rapidly, I could make out a dark figure leaning against a shape of some sort. "Jace?"

Still no answer.

Arming myself with my water bottle, I moved closer to the body, my body almost sagging in relief when I saw the blonde hair. Simon assumed I loved being a heroine, but I just liked to convince myself there really was nothing to worry about. On most occasions anyway.

Splashing the water on his face, I pushed him off the floor slightly, hoping to get him a little more upright. As he became conscious, he helped me sit himself up, only pausing to groan, "Take my phone to light your way. It's got a built-in 20 LED torch."

It was pointless asking why his phone was so gadget-like since I knew he was a Shadowhunter, but I still took it wearily, bringing it up to the light the room.

"I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Like I can go anywhere," he grumbled quietly.

Whilst the First Aid kit was generally easy to locate, it was a lot harder to actually dress his wound. My previous thought had been that the wound was quite deep but as I cleaned it, I noticed that it was actually shallow. It was the clotted blood that had made it seem worse than it was and the reason behind Jace's fainting episode was the fact that the wound had opened up again. Getting to work, I wiped the dried blood off with a bottle of water and wipe, taking care to not aggravate it with any rough movements. It would have been better with running water from a tap but since walking would cause the wound to open, I had decided against it. The bleeding had started again slightly and I applied slight pressure until it stopped. I could feel his eyes watching me carefully as he leant back on his elbows, knowing better than to stop me. I applied a thin layer of Polysporin over it to stop infection, rubbing it in with small circular motions. Finally, I applied the dressing, pressing it down tightly at the corners. The bandage I wrapped around it would help it keep in place.

I leaned back and surveyed my work, discarding my gloves and smiling sheepishly at Jace.

"Not my best work but it'll have to do. If the dressing is coming loose or blood starts to seep through, let me know and I'll change it."

He nodded, covering his leg up again. "Are you going to ask what's on your mind or not?" He questioned suddenly.

I paused for a second and contemplated the best way to word my answer. "When everyone says you're a Shadowhunter... what does that mean? What does being a Shadowhunter entail? And do not give me any bullcrap about how you run in fields and play with flowers because you don't want to scare me. I want to know the truth."

He angled his head, his eyes nearly completely shutting whilst he pondered over my question. Most likely, he was thinking of whether I was trustworthy enough to talk to and seemingly having come up with a decision, he replied, "I do jobs for people that want them done, but I'm the only Shadowhunter that can choose which ones I want to take on. That's all I can tell you," he muttered.

I nodded, accepting his answer whilst analyzing his words carefully. The fact that he was the only one to take on whichever job he wanted was to clearly expressed the fact that he was a 'big shot' not only with mundanes, but other Shadowhunters too. Deciding that it was way too early to go to sleep since it was only eight, I pulled a chocolate bar out of my bag, snapping it in half and giving some to Jace, getting cozy.

"A girl that shares chocolate? I'm amazed."

"Careful, otherwise I'll take it right back. Chocolate is my one true love," I threatened.

"And there I was thinking it was me," he grinned, sending my heart racing. Any girl would have swooned if he had flashed them that same grin.

"Well, you're not. I've never liked guys obsessed with violence," I admitted.

"I'm sure you'll think differently once you see me in action, Red. You won't be able to help yourself." His stupid smirk had reappeared even whilst he was in pain; was there a time it wasn't present?

"Want to make that a bet?"

He took my hand in his, shaking it soundly. "I bet that seeing me fight will make you fall in love with me," Jace replied smugly. "And I bet that you'll be obsessed with getting my shirt off later."

"What's my prize when I win?" I asked joyfully, because I knew I was going to win.

"I'll be your slave for a week. Well, not a literal slave, but I'll do whatever you want me to do. And if that includes helping you shower, that's more than fine."

"And that is never going to happen. When I win, you have to be my slave for a week, and that includes getting me chocolate whenever I want," I laughed evilly.

Removing my hand from his, I toasted my chocolate to his and then bit into it victoriously. It was gone in seconds and Jace just stared as I devoured it before eating his. "I didn't want to risk you taking mine back before I'd even had it."

The sound of rain pounding against the roof captured my attention and I stood carefully, going over to the window. I had already checked to see if we could escape from here but they were fireproof and had a locking operating system that was on and there didn't seem to be a single person walking past to whom we could ask for help.

"I think you're stuck with me for now, Red." Jace's voice came too close for me and I turned slightly to see him looming over me, his breath fanning over me. Realizing how close to me he was, I swallowed, attempting to move back. He had me in the exact same position I had been in earlier, and just like that time, I was helpless.

"Can you move back a little, Jace?"

"Why? Are you feeling uncomfortable? Because your reaction right now makes me think I'm going to win that bet," he smirked, stepping even closer to me if that was possible. If I had had an injury like his, I knew I wouldn't have been able to do whatever he was doing right now.

"There is no way you're going to win that bet," I replied, hating the fact that I sounded a little breathless while he sounded perfectly composed. I stepped under his arm, smirking a little at his stunned face.

"Now, since it doesn't look like I can draw, I'm going to go to sleep. I'll wake up at dawn and try calling Simon again."

He scoffed. "That's if Simon and Izzy have even realized we're gone. And it doesn't mean that as soon as it turns dawn, we'll have reception."

"Stop being such a cynic unless you want me to die in misery. Hope makes everything look better!"

"You have to be realistic unless you want to always be disappointed in life," he said seriously, following me to the edge of the stage. I started pushing chairs together to make makeshift beds and added my bag at one end for a pillow. Grimacing at how uncomfortable this was going to be, I sat.

"But if you have no hope, then you're never going to be happy. Even when something good happens, you're just going to keep thinking it's going to go wrong," I frowned.

"But it's better than having high expectations. When something doesn't go your way, you'll end up devastated. With me, I've already anticipated the worst case scenario, so anything other than that is a victory for me."

I contemplated his words, seeing he actually had a point. "Maybe we'll just have to compromise on this. We've both made good points," I hesitated.

"You know when you're defeated, Red. But I'll compromise 'cause I'm tired."

"Any excuse," I muttered, leaning into my makeshift pillow. Finally taking in the row of chairs I had added a little way from me, he frowned.

And then ruined the adorable expression by speaking. "I'm surprised you didn't make the bed closer to your own, any other girl would've jumped at the chance."

"Well, I'm not any other girl, and the only reason I even made you one is because I need to be on hand if your dressing needs changing."

"Any excuse," he replied, mimicking me.

"Okay, time to go to sleep now," I said loudly, though I wasn't in the least bit tired. I had wanted to use this time to question Jace more about the Shadowhunters, especially since I wasn't the only one with concerns. But he didn't seem to be in any fit state to stay awake considering the dark circles under his eyes, so I decided to leave it well alone.

Until he brought the subject up himself.

Like I had predicted, sleep had evaded me, my entire body too wound up to be able to rest peacefully. The torrential downpour hadn't slowed its place, worrying me that even if we were rescued from here, we would be stuck due to flooding. I was hyper-aware of Jace being just an arm away from me, if I had reached out, my fingers would have brushed him. It wasn't as though I'd never fallen asleep with a guy next to me- I had done that with Simon countless times- or the fact that I didn't trust him. It was more to do with my mind being incapable to switch off when it was too busy over thinking every word that had been said to me today and interpreting them in several different ways.

"I'm known to be the leader of the Shadowhunters but I'm not," he admitted quietly, and I continued looking straight ahead, knowing this was difficult for him to speak about for whatever reason. "Shadowhunters have existed since the start of time and I'm just an exceptional one which is why I'm given so much credit and acclaim. My father trained me well. I started when I was five and have been training to improve ever since. That's why I'm the best at what I do, even better than some of the adults. Not that I've ever met them. I'm too volatile to meet such royalty."

His voice went quieter as he spoke, but whether he was regretful about either telling me or regretful of past events, I wasn't sure. "It's okay, Jace. I understand. You don't have to tell me." And I meant every word. I understood what it meant to hide family secrets because that was what was expected. And although he had no real family, I knew he considered the Shadowhunters as his.

He didn't reply, and I knew he was pondering over the memories that haunted him, the memories that made it impossible for him to talk to me. I understood what secrets did to you.

My eyes finally shut of their own accord once again, but my dreams were filled with the image of a young boy with golden curls, a father with hair to match, and rain that glistened like tears. It was almost possible to believe what the boy had said about hope being useless. He wept quietly to himself whilst the man looked on emotionlessly, the tears of the child of no consequence to him. I gasped as the boy was struck once, twice, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't help.

I awoke with the same feeling of helplessness flowing quietly within me.

The sound of a guitar being strummed gently permeated the room and I shuffled sleepily, pulling my jacket tighter around me. My surroundings coming slowly into view as I blinked wearily, I sat up straighter, rubbing the knot in the back of my neck. I had no idea how people found it comfortable to fall asleep on chairs. I predicted it to still be quite early; it wasn't fully light yet.

Clearly, it wasn't Simon on the guitar since he sounded like he was cutting the strings or sitting on it or something equally horrible, whilst this sounded... it sounded like it was been played with raw emotion. Wrapping my arms around myself, I walked ahead to investigate.

"Jace?" My shock must have been evident from my voice because he stopped playing straight away, putting the guitar neatly to one side, almost like it was precious. His leg was stretched out ahead of him, and I was glad to see he had taken my advice.

"I'm sorry if I woke you up," he whispered, turning to face me.

"Have you not slept?" I asked worriedly, walking toward him. I hadn't really been able to explore the studio yesterday due to the lack of light, but it was clear this was a room not open to the public. Dirty books with rough notes scribbled inside them peppered the room, the furniture matching the haphazard state of the room, antique and mismatched.

"It's hard to when my only companion keeps screaming my name," he replied dryly.

"I was not screaming your name," I retorted hotly, my cheeks reddening to match.

"Your guilty conscience doesn't think so." He stood up quickly and moved next to me. "Your blush betrays you." He ran a finger from cheekbone to jaw slowly, taking his time. I turned around, certain my entire body was in flame. His low chuckle came soon after, but I didn't give in and respond immediately.

"Do you always do this? Flirt when you're trying to avoid attention? Though I doubt that hardly happens. You thrive on attention." I could hear him sit back down, probably because he was in pain but too proud to say so.

"Why? You jealous?"

"Like hell I am," I grimaced, "I'm not another girl to just fall at your feet."

"We've already clarified that, Red. Hence the bet we made earlier, remember? You'll never resist my undeniable charm, no girl ever has."

"I'll be the first."

Ignoring his raised eyebrows, I moved over to check his bandage, ensuring that I avoided eye contact. Thankfully, it hadn't bled through which meant the wound was healing, but it was best if I changed the dressing. I almost regretted my action of holding my hand out to him, but when his enclosed around mine, I knew it was alright.

"Keep the weight off your leg," I warned, trying to make him lean on me. He walked himself, not relying on any support, but his hand stayed firmly in mine. I tried not to put too much attention onto that fact.

"I'm fine. It's just a minor scrape, I've had worse."

"I bet."

I knew there was a lot more to the Shadowhunter jobs that he was implying and I knew that he wouldn't open up even if I begged him. That would only make him wearier. He was wasting away from the inside and there was no one to help him. Even now, with his smirk plastered on, I could detect a vulnerability... once he had been me. Once, I had been the one who pretended everything was alright, and Simon had saved me.

Jace deserved to be saved, even if he didn't know it.

"Why the hell are you holding hands with the Shadowhunter," came a voice to my left, and I just managed to pull us out of the way as an object came hurtling at me. It was a Twinkie.

Trying not to be distracted by the wonderful confection in my hands, I glared at Simon, who appeared to have just woken up, judging by his mussed hair.

"I thought I was going to die in here! How long did it take for you to remember me? And what's it to you if I'm holding hands with Jace? Have I ever said anything about Isabelle and you?"

Jace's voice was low, and threatening. "What about Isabelle and him?"

Oops. Guess I had said something now.

"We're not going out," Simon retorted defensively.

"Shame. Now I don't have a valid reason to engage you in a fight." He raised an eyebrow suggestively at me and I looked away, the bet never far from my mind.

"Like you Shadowhunters ever need a reason to touch someone."

"Simon!" I interrupted, appalled.

"Sorry, but I really don't like the guy," he shrugged.

"Feeling's mutual, rat."

No idea where this was going, I pushed past both of them, searching for my escape. And ended up bumping into Isabelle.

"I am so sorry," I immediately apologized.

"What for?"

"Izzy." Jace appeared in the doorway.

"If you have laid a finger on Clary-" Izzy started.

"What? Like you did with the rat?"

And that was the cue for my exit. But I wasn't allowed to go so easily.

I was never going to try helping anyone ever again.

**Do you think their relationship is advancing too fast? I'm trying to get across the connection Clary already feels with Jace, because even in the books, they feel something quite early on. And is anyone too OOC 'cause I don't want to totally annihilate their characters -_-**

**And should I keep the title as it is because I'm considering renaming it to Gambling with Love (because of their bet).**

**I hope you enjoyed the Clace! XD**

**Thank you for reading! **

**CherrySlushLover**

**Xxx**


	4. A Tale of Disconcerting Opposites

**Thank you for all the love and reviews! You guys are amazing, I swear by the Angel!**

**My PMing function is broken hence the no replies! It keeps saying I have to wait five minutes before posting a meassage of the same content even though I haven't sent anything. But feel free to ask questions and leave a comment: I'll reply to all reviews and PMs as soon as FFN sort it out for me.**

**Much love to my fantastic beta, booklover484 who is so patient and awesome! XD**

**Disclaimer: Jace is trying to convince me that he belongs to me, but I'm sad to say Cassie does. Now leave me so I can cry and Jace can comfort me XD**

**A Tale of Two Amoris**

**Chapter Four: A Tale of Disconcerting Opposites**

**Jace's POV**

"I'll be there," I said quietly, not wanting to be overheard. Valentine disconnected and I scowled at the image of him in my head.

Clary, who was the unfortunate daughter of Valentine, smirked at me. "Well, doesn't this add to your mysterious persona? Like a horribly clichéd movie."

Looking at her, I wondered if I was actually correct when I said she was my boss's daughter. They were opposites not only in looks but also in personality. Valentine radiated the vibe of Mr. Cool and Collected Evil Mastermind whilst Clary was more of a Miss Let Me Live Up To The Stereotype Associated With Redheads sort of person.

It hadn't been my choice to walk her back home but since it was apparently my fault for getting us locked in that monstrosity of a place, I had been forced to by Isabelle. How she had managed was a secret I would take to the grave. And probably after that. Now Clary was bouncing along beside me like she was actually comfortable in my presence even though she probably knew that my 'job' consisted of beating people up until they screamed for mercy. The people who I targeted deserved every last broken bone I inflicted on them, yet with Clary walking beside me, I felt ashamed of my actions. My humanity had decided to resurface four years too late. Thinking back, I knew if faced with the same scenario I had been in then, the side I would pick would always be that of the Shadowhunters. They were definitely the lesser of two evils despite the current leadership, and if I had my way, that wouldn't be a problem for much longer.

"Jace?"

I quashed my surprise at her willingness to converse with me after everything that had just transpired, putting it down to my irresistible charm even though I knew she was probably the least likely to succumb to it. I would never admit it aloud, but that had bothered me and that's why I decided to make that stupid bet. I had always had a lot of female attention, but she was the first girl to not show any interest. That was what really bothered me. Or that's what I told myself anyway.

"Yes, my fiery red ball of anger," I asked cordially, ever the gentleman.

"Why do you struggle to go to sleep?"

I forced myself to look impassive and shrugged. "I can't sleep if I'm not comfortable." Knowing how red she went when I said anything mildly inappropriate, and hoping it would distract her enough to stray off this topic, I added, "Are you finally admitting to talking about me in your sleep? Because it was only a matter of time. And if you're offering, I would love to sleep with you, though I doubt much sleeping would actually be done."

Like predicted, she was scarlet within moments, stammering some sort of inarticulate response. I didn't get her at all. One second, she was confident and withholding all attempts of flattery, and the next, she was like a puddle at my feet. And then obviously, she spoke.

"I will never sleep with you, Jace Wayland," she muttered furiously under her breath. "And if I was speaking about you, it was only to curse you and your large ego. The entire world is not in love with you!" She stalked off after her mini-rant, ignoring me completely, except to glower over her shoulder before disappearing into a building. Her house.

Which happened to be right next to Valentine's den.

Maybe he preferred keeping work and home life separate. Not that I cared about whether Clary had been submitted to seeing things to do with our profession from a young age. Oh, that actually did sound like I cared. But I didn't.

Great. Now my thoughts sounded defensive.

"Wayland," came his indescribable voice.

I looked up, barely hiding my disgust as my eyes met his stone ones. Clary was always so full of emotion and that was seen in everything she did, whereas Valentine was eternally emotionless, not even flinching when he murdered one of his own workers. I didn't flinch either because I knew the reason behind my actions, but Valentine beat people mercilessly for little things such as spending a minute longer on the task assigned, or not torturing a person enough. He disgusted me, and that made me disgusted with myself. Who was I to judge when my crimes were nearly as bad as his? Would I be like him one day, unable to deduce where to draw the line?

"I heard you've got a new assignment that is best suited for me." My tone was curt, matching his perfectly. My skills were equal, if not superior, to his, but he would never acknowledge it. I, in turn, wouldn't ever show him any respect. Begrudgingly, I admitted I held him in some esteem- it was not easy to become the leader of Shadowhunters and he had managed it when he was twenty four, no easy feat.

"The Clave let the murderer of Amelia Verlac go. Sebastian wants revenge. He thinks you'll deliver the punishment accordingly."

I inspected my hands, looking disinterested. "The name of the accused?"

"Luke Garroway. There was not enough evidence against him, but it's our job to fulfil our client's requests," Valentine smirked, reclining in his seat.

"I decline. You know I take no cases where the accused has a chance of being innocent." Without another glance at the man I hated yet respected, I turned to exit. A slight flash to the right of me had me ducking just in time to avoid the fist that had come at me. Valentine rushed at me again, no arms raised, so I jumped onto the chair, blocking the kick I had assumed was next. Not a single time did I lay a blow on him, knowing I would have to pay hell if I did. But he didn't get a single scratch on me either, my earlier anger at him fueling my speed. There was a reason I was known as the best Shadowhunter around.

The door opening stopped our meaningless conflict- but what was meaningless to me was a challenge to test my abilities for Valentine. Jonathan Morgenstern walked in, his casual reaction to our stances making me want to attack him as well.

"I take it you didn't take the job," he commented, hanging a pea coat onto the hook.

Again, I was startled by Clary's lack of familial resemblance. Jonathan was the doppelgänger of his father, and just as ruthless. He was the only Shadowhunter I had to work to beat in a fight, which was a constant thorn in not only my side, but Alec's too.

Jonathan would pay for hurting Isabelle, but we would strike only when the time was right.

"I'm not taking the job," I muttered and walked out, this time with no interruptions. Pulling the collar of my coat up, I ran down the road, trying to ignore the fact that my favorite redhead was a door away. She had been begging for answers and now it was me with the questions, I thought wryly. But whilst she was naturally curious, I realized my questions had more to do with her personal life. Did she know her father's role in the Shadowhunters? Had she ever got involved in it, and if she had, was that why she was free from falling for him? Had she heard stories of his violent nature and did she despise him for it?

The problem with these questions were that they were ludicrous since I knew the answer to most of them anyway. Her naivety had been genuine which meant she had been kept well away from the lifestyle Jonathan and I had been brought up with. She was too gentle to hurt a person even if she liked to act otherwise, which meant she'd never been on a job before. I knew the answers to these questions, so why were they pestering me? Why did I care so much what she thought of me to go to such an extent to make up theories?

I thought of calling someone, but decided against it knowing I wouldn't be much company. Bullshit. There was only one person who I wanted to talk to right now.

Deciding the old football pitch was the best way to calm me down before I went home, I headed that way, ignoring the sound of the rain sloshing against my boots. Rain was the best weather to run in.

What I hadn't expected was the small figure on the road with startlingly bright hair, nodding along to a soundless beat and bumping right into me. Again.

She gasped and pulled her earphones out, starting to apologize before noticing it was me. "Are you really that desperate to touch me?" I smirked, leaning closer to her automatically. I noticed she had changed out of the clothes she had been wearing last night, and now sported a long-sleeved shirt with jeans. Her hair was loose, random strands blowing against her face as the wind picked up. She showed hardly any skin like the girls I knew, she was intriguing and had managed to remain in my head all day. What was she doing to me?

"You wish," she scoffed.

"I do actually," I deadpanned, just to laugh at her automatic reaction again.

"You only say these things to laugh at me," she frowned, pushing her earphones back in the vain attempt of blocking me out. I contemplated taking them out just to annoy her some more then reconsidered just in case she ran off and I had no chance to get answers.

But she was the first to ask a question.

"Why are you so against Simon and Isabelle being together?"

"I'm not," I stated simply. "He's going to get his heart broken by her just like everyone else when he asks her out. Izzy flirts but she's never been serious about a guy. She dates most of them to get on Maryse's and Robert's nerves and Simon looks like the perfect boyfriend so she has nothing to gain by dating him."

I think that may have been the first time I was completely honest with anyone without adding an amazingly witty remark in between.

"You make her sound like she just uses guys and throws them away."

I walked quicker, trying to phrase my answer in a way that didn't offend her. "Izzy knows she's pretty. And if that helps her get something, she'll use it. Like me. And you."

"Me? I would never do that!" Clary was fuming and as much as I would have loved to see her blow up, it wasn't going to help if I needed her. Yes, I _needed_ her; I wasn't using her for answers. It was all for the greater good.

"See? That's exactly what I mean. You would use your good grades to get out of detention, I would use my perfect looks and personality, whilst Isabelle would use her... good looks." I shuddered just saying that, even though I knew she was good-looking.

"Clary can use her gorgeous self as well to get what she wants, she just decides not to," came a familiar voice that I recognized all too well.

But what was Sebastian doing here and how did he know my Clary?

She laughed slightly, her eyes lighting up, but not for me. For Verlac.

I watched as he wrapped an arm around her waist and she let him, though it was definitely not in a 'friendly' way like her and the rat. No other contact was made between them and I thanked the Angel for that, knowing I definitely would have punched him if he had. Clary was too innocent to be corrupted by someone like Sebastian. He was rivalling Jonathan's position near the top of my hate list.

"What you doing with my girl, Wayland?" He asked, his dark eyes glinting with amusement.

I refrained from grabbing Clary and claiming her as mine, "Showing her what she's missing out in by staying with you."

She laughed uproariously for no apparent reason, and pushed Sebastian's hand off her, hoisting her bag higher on her shoulder.

"You too can carry on this conversation without me," she grinned. "It seems like you have a history."

Oh, she had no idea.

**This is the Jace POV emy-twilight09 wanted! So I hoped you enjoyed it! A lot of this story is still shrouded in mystery and I intend to reveal things little by little so don't worry if everything doesn't make sense. But sometimes I write and it may make sense to me and not to you, so if you think I missed something out or something needs clarifying let me know! :)**

**I didn't manage to reply via PMing to some reviews because of the aforementioned reason, so I'll reply here:**

**Gams2000: Hell yeah, I've read Obsidian! Actually, now I think back to it, maube it unconciously made me write this story like it is! You're another great fan, so since I can't PM you, I'll have to only briefly mention my UNDYING gratitude. Yes, it will never die! Love you XXX**

**Faithful reader: You really are faithful, Faith! Thank you for the help with the title, it really did help me decide. The bet, whilst having some impact on the plot, is not a majot part of the storyline, so I decided to keep the title as it is. I was only considering changing it because I think people may be put off the book because they don't know the meaning of Amoris. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, awesome person! Have a cookie! Love you tooXXX**

**And thank you to divergentandproudofit and kailey for your reviews since I didn't thank you. As you can see, I updated! **

**I think I managed to reply to everyone else's questions but if I didn't, don't hesitate to pop my head with them!**

**Follow, favourite, review, love,**

**CherrySlushLover**

**xxx**


	5. A Tale of Undiscovered Truths

**Hey :)**

**Thank you for all the love via follows, favourites, reviews, and PMs, you have no ides how much they mean to writers! Your constant support is stupendous!**

**Thank you to my amazing beta booklover484!**

**Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own anything. Though I wish I did like millions of others... join me whilst we cry profusely...**

**A Tale of Two Amoris**

**Chapter Five: A Tale of Undiscovered Truths**

"Romeo and Juliet is one of the most popular Shakespearean plays, yet like all other pieces of writing, it has shortcomings. I need a two-sided essay on why you think Romeo and Juliet may be an irrelevant and misleading piece of writing, or why you believe it deserves the title of the greatest play ever written, "Miss Fall demanded, snapping her notebook shut.

An equal amount of groans and cheers emitted from the students, and although my grades in English were teetering on an A, I found myself with the half of the class who were dismayed by the task set. I knew the play had many faults such as Romeo's volatile love, but I also loved the play with a passion. It was almost blasphemy to pick out its shortcomings.

Following the receding crowd, I put my earphones in, blocking out the swamps of idle chatter around me which was probably why I failed to hear the sound of the thundering footsteps behind me until it was too late. Hands covered my eyes and I automatically knew who they belonged to. Cue internal sigh.

Plastering on a smile, I turned. "Jordan. How are you?"

"It matters on what part of my wellbeing you're asking about. If you're asking about my mental state, I've never been happier and it's all thanks to you."

"I've told you a billion times, you and Maia were meant to be. I only speeded up the process because I didn't think either of you were going to confess first," I said matter-of-factly.

I waited for the real reason he was coming to see me, since he always had an ulterior motive for flattering me. I was right.

"Maia's birthday is coming up, and I've always thrown her a party, but because the last time we broke up we were at a party, I didn't think that's a good idea. So I'm just doing a little thing at my house on the day of. I've been preparing for it for a while now, and she's getting suspicious that there's another girl so I told her I was with you, getting help with Math. And she's probably going to come to you to ask so I just felt like I should tell you. Thanks Clary, you're the best!" After that bombshell, he left without a single glance back.

It didn't seem like a good idea to tell him I sucked at Math. Just as he managed to escape me, Maia turned up, grabbing my bag before I could disappear. I braced myself for whatever was coming, trying my best not to look annoyed at the constant drama they brought to my life. For the past four months, my life had revolved around getting them together, stopping them from breaking up, and then listening to them talk about the other. Simon said I should be happy that they were happy, but it really just reminded me of how lonely my own life was. Everyone around me was 'coupling up' and in most outings I felt like a third wheel. Even Simon and the irretrievable Isabelle were going somewhere.

"So I hear you're starting Math tutoring, Clary?" Maia started, trying her best to sound relaxed.

"Not really, it's just Jordan and I that are battling through it. I'm not too good, but Jordan's even worse, so I decided working together would help. Two minds are better than one, right?" I chuckled weakly.

"Oh, right." Her eyes tightened suspiciously before she continued. "How are you and Seb getting on? I heard he's interested in you."

I repressed a shudder, knowing it probably wouldn't help to mention that I had no interest in dating Sebastian. He was cute- okay, very hot- but the idea of going on a date with him didn't really send my stomach fluttering. Spending one night with Jace had produced more of a reaction in me, not that I would ever tell him that. It was obvious that Maia thought I had feelings for her boyfriend, and me mentioning I was a free agent in matters of the heart would only make the situation worse.

"I saw Sebastian yesterday. He surprised me into having coffee," I answered truthfully. After I had walked away from Jace and him, he had caught me up and invited me to have one. I had been delaying it for too long, so yesterday's invitation had been really a demand.

She smiled at that, giving me a quick one-armed hug before running off to her next lesson. Clearly, it was okay to make me late but another thing altogether for her to be late. I skidded into PE with seconds to spare, braiding my hair with one hand and yanking down my shorts with the other. Isabelle waved me over and the gesture seemed tight, as though it was more out of common courtesy than actually wanting me there. Whatever. I jogged over, smiling at her.

"I'm sorry for yesterday, Izzy. I didn't mean to get you in trouble with Jace."

"He doesn't think anything of it now once he calmed down. He just hates it when I go all 'psycho-bitch' at him. His words by the way, not mine," she grimaced.

After a couple of warm up stretches, we started jogging around the field, pausing every so often to catch our breath. Well, I stopped to catch my breath; Izzy seemed to be the unstoppable machine.

"Damn," I panted, "How are you managing this?"

"A lot of practice, and Jace isn't exactly the most forgiving of trainers. This is nothing." She grinned, pushing her hair back.

"Okay, so you train with Jace. That's why you're so good at self-defense too." She was lethal, especially when it came to warding off unwanted attention. Normally, she lapped it up and used it, but was always quick to stop when things got too far.

"He can teach you if you want. I'll ask him for you, he wouldn't mind! And obviously, he's the best teacher you can get since he's also the best Shadowhunter around. Speaking of which-" She stopped her worthless pursuit of the title of fastest runner to turn to me, her face scarily impassive. "I thought I should let you know that I trained to be a Shadowhunter too. And I was one for three years until I turned sixteen when I got a choice. I decided against continuing. Jace... didn't. And I don't know his reasons for that and will never question his choice for that life, but I just thought I should let you know. I don't want to lie to you, Clary."

That was Isabelle, as straightforward as ever. My breath came in little shorts pants as I digested what she was saying. She had been a Shadowhunter? But hadn't Jace said it was dangerous, and implied it meant hurting people? Like I said, Isabelle was lethal but I couldn't imagine her hurting random people like that. It was only Jace who could choose who his assignments were.

But she had given it up.

Me of all people should know not to judge her for what she had done in the past.

With that in mind, I sprayed water on her, soaking her jersey and laughed as her expression turned dumbfounded and then irate.

"You have no idea what you just walked into, Clary." Grabbing my water bottle, she aimed it at me and sprayed... but its contents didn't touch me. Oh no. She wasn't that lucky.

We both turned and gasped simultaneously at Mrs. Park's sopping uniform, her face pulled down in a frown.

"Office. Both of you."

We waited patiently to be called in, looking at each other every so often and trying to stop bursting into laughter. Despite the gravity of the situation, what had just happened had been the starting point of a stronger relationship between us, and that thought had made us almost giddy.

"Miss Fray. Miss Lightwood. If you could please bless me with your company," crackled the intercom.

We were allowed to go in together? Maybe this wasn't as bad as I had initially thought. Not that I had thought it was that serious. Mrs. Park tended to make a volcano out of a harmless mountain.

Or maybe it was. I gulped as a pair of golden eyes scrutinized me from head to toe, lingering on the mess that was sure to have replaced my face. His lips tilted into a crooked grin but he didn't say anything, choosing instead to stand up, drawing my attention to the fact that he was wearing a... suit?

My mouth opened to make a bewildered comment on his appearance but Jace shook his head infinitesimally, silently begging me not to say anything. Okay...

I bowed my head, trying to look contrite and apparently it worked as Mr. Gillingham told me to take a seat but left Izzy standing. Throwing an apologetic look at her, I took a seat.

"I hope you understand the evilness of your actions, Miss Fray. To intentionally target a teacher for one of your pranks is inexcusable. And such a respected teacher at that!" He shook his head.

Please. Everyone knew he was dating her.

"But I am told that you didn't actually commit the crime, so I have decided to let you off. It is actually Miss Lightwood that is going to face the brunt of the punishment. You may leave with Mr. Herondale. I expect to see you back in school in Monday with a fresh attitude to learning."

I frowned. Surely he was mistaken. Jace was here for Izzy, not me. Again, Jace shook his head, just motioning for me to follow him. I did as he asked, whirling on him as soon as we had left the office.

"Jace! What are you doing here? How did you know we were here, and why aren't you taking Izzy! You do realize my father was supposed to come to pick me up?" My thoughts were scattered, haphazard, as I wondered why he was here. Dad would kill me once he knew I had been suspended for two days, and I really wanted to get his punishment over and done with.

"Your dad sent me." Jace watched me carefully as though he was gauging my reaction and when none came, his forehead cleared of its frown. I replayed his words in my head and froze.

"You know my dad."

"Yes." He stopped walking as well, waiting for my reaction.

"You work for my dad."

"I think we just went over that, Red."

"By the Doctor. He sent you to spy on me, didn't he?" I shrieked, struggling to keep my voice low.

This was typical of him; when I didn't open up to him, send someone else to do the job. I should have known something like this would happen. Ever since mum had left us, he seemed to think I was plotting against him and regularly checked up on me for any incriminating evidence of my schemes. Once I had figured this out, I had kept all my belongings hidden, not that there was much besides the drawings that were important. After he hadn't searched my room for a few weeks, I assumed he had gotten tired of it, but clearly he was just waiting until I let my guard down long enough. The nerve of him!

"What?" Jace exhaled slowly, working to keep himself calm. "I would never agree to spy on you, what do you think of me?"

"So you're not spying on me?" I asked dubiously.

"No," he sighed. "You have the strangest theories. The school rang, and Sebastian was going to come and act as your guardian to collect you. Since I didn't have anything to do and he did, I said I would collect you instead. It made more sense."

"Sebastian's a Shadowhunter too?" This day was just bringing more and more wonderful surprises.

He inclined his head, reaching around me to pull my car door open. "Quite the gentleman," I commented dryly.

"Always. And like the gentleman I am, I'm going to drive you home. Before you disagree, I have no other mode of transport so, even though it pains me to say this, I'm between two immovable objects."

I giggled uncharacteristically, shutting the door behind me and opening his. "Are you saying you need a ride, Jace Wayland?"

"I'm forever in your debt now. Feel free to do with me as you wish." He leaned closer to me, his breath ruffling my hair slightly. My own hitched in response, green eyes latching onto gold. Chuckling darkly, he pulled away. "It's going to be so easy to win that bet."

We would see about that.

I forced my brain to stop thinking about Jace and to filter through all the new information I had received about my father, thinking about which pieces could be used against him. Sadly, there was nothing. Everything I had found out just told me more about Jace, but he was still an enigma for me. It seemed like the more I found out about him, the less I knew.

Wow, that didn't even make sense in my own head. And my thoughts were back on Jace.

"Clary, duck!" Jace's sudden voice pulled me out of my own thoughts and I did as he asked, avoiding the spray of glass that showered over us as something hit the windshield. Adrenaline pumping through me, I unbuckled my seatbelt, reaching into the glove compartment for the pepper spray that was always stored there, holding it in front of me just as my door was wrenched open. Without even seeing who my attacker was, I pressed down on the nozzle, sighing when the screams showed that it had reached its target.

Turning back around to see if Jace was alright, I stiffened before scrabbling forward. He was gone, the driver's door having been opened from the inside, no signs of forced exit.

Why did he keep disappearing on me?

"Stay where you are, girly. We just need your boyfriend to come back and you're free to walk," A voice rasped from behind me. A sharp blow to the back of my head and I was gone, somewhere between hell and unconsciousness.

**Heehee, cliffhanger because I love you that much!**

**I think I replied to everyone's reviews and a huge thank you again to all of you, including the favouriters and followers (you continue to astound me!)**

**GossipGirlXO: First of all, your penname is awesome. Seriously. Thank you for your your review, and you were right! The title is based on Shakespeare's 'A Tale of Two Cities' and if you've ever read TID, you'll understand why I chose it! I'm glad you like the narrative voice :D**

**Faithful Reader: Don't worry about reviewing late! As long as your review is as awesome as they usually are, I'm happy! Just knowing you're reading makes me jump over the moon! On to your review! I can't really help with titles since I tend to suck at them, but if you give me an average summary of the story, I'll be glad to help *excited* And you'll have to wait and find out about more about Luke and the Shadowhunters... your theories may or may not be correct! You'll have to wait and see ;D I'm glad you love Jace because so do I, and another cookie and cherry slush to you because of that! I guess your question about Clary and Seb has been answered! Love you loads! Xx (P.S. You don't have to answer this, but do you live in America? As in, did this update come to you on a Monday or Tuesday since it's technically Tuesday in England?) XD**

**Did you know I'm really ill right now and this chapter was written whilst I was alnost catatonic apparently, but I updated just because I knew you were all waiting! So I hope you can forgive me for the cliffie and I promise the longer chapters are coming! They tend to be shorter when the story is starting out...**

**Follow, favourite, review, Love!**

**Thank you,**

**CherrySlushLover**

**xxx**


	6. A Tale of Douchey Heroes

**My amazing beta: booklover484**

**Thank you to all my reviewers, followers, and favouriters: you are the best fans/readers a writer could ever dream of having!**

**Disclaimer: I'm sure if I owned Jace, I wouldn't share him with millions of other people 'cause I'm selfish like that.**

**A Tale of Two Amoris**

**Chapter Six: A Tale of Douche-y Heroes**

My vision was blurry as I looked around to see where I was. I had supposed the room to be empty since there were no sounds of movement but I was bewildered to find myself surrounded on nearly every side. Dark gazes looked down at me impassively from every angle but no golden ones stood out. I gasped, remembering their final words.

"We just need you boyfriend to come back and you're free to walk."

I clenched my eyes shut, pleading with my mind to send a message to Jace and tell him not to return, because they had clearly assumed Jace and I were a couple. That was why I was here in the first place; I was bait. Well, they had another thing this coming if they thought I was just going to lead Jace straight to them.

"She's awake," the one closest to me grunted. I sighed internally at the cliché; these guys clearly watched too many movies.

"Oh shit." Well, that was new. Oh, hold on a minute, that was me. I had just spoken out loud.

"Language," the same man from earlier said. I was sure the rest of them were mute, or this one just acted like he was the spokesperson.

It was nice to know my wit hadn't left me now. I quickly counted the number of people here, wondering how many people I would have to get past to escape. Wait, I was sure there had been seventeen of them before, or had I been imagining things? There was another one gone. I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand, blinking rapidly. A flash of movement to my left had me pushing back to the corner; I knew of only one person with hair that gorgeous. Isabelle. It sucked that she looked like a badass supermodel even now whilst I probably looked like I had a rat's nest on my head- if they even had nests.

"What? Call the boss, quick!" Cries were erupting from all of them and it was obvious there were worried about their boss's reaction to the ambush.

The man in black (literally) reached for his phone but it was kicked aside, crashing to the ground and crushed beneath a booted foot. The man clutched his hand to his chest, throwing countless profanities out in between gasps.

"I'm sure your mother wouldn't be too proud about you using language like that. So I'm going to do her a favour and wash your mouth out."

I recognized that voice all too well.

Jace punched his jaw, and from where his fist connected, blood flowed. The man leapt at him in an offensive maneuver but Jace stepped aside almost as though this was everyday life. Each move the man tried was dodged or countered but no real harm was given on either side. Jace taunted him continuously, coaxing him into attacking, but this was just a game. And all games had to be won. Before long, the man tired and that was when Jace made his move. He blocked a weak uppercut, twisting the hand until the man was in a clearly uncomfortable position on his knees, and then proceeded to snap his wrist like a simple twig. The man's eyes rolled back into his head, his chest rising with shallow breaths, purpling bruises already forming from the hits that had come in quick succession and caught him off guard.

Jace finally looked at me and called my name hoarsely. "Clary. I told Isabelle to take you and go."

In a weak attempt at humour, I replied, "I saw you fight and I don't feel like ripping off your shirt. I guess I won the bet."

"No way. You had a knock to the head and aren't in the right frame of mind. Otherwise you would already be in my arms," he smirked, not seeming in the least bit affected by what had just occurred. He lifted me with him and I swayed, my head feeling like a bunch of different fluids were swimming there. Disorientated, I wrapped my arms around him, trying to keep myself grounded with him.

"It was pretty awesome though."

He chuckled. "I know."

"They were looking for you. Why did you come back? You could have got hurt even if you do fight like Jackie Chan." This close to him, I could understand why it was so easy for women to lose their head around him; even with his hair slightly damp with perspiration and his face flushed, he was startlingly attractive. Maybe even more so than usual. And I had to admit if I hadn't been near catatonic, I probably would have lost my head because of him. What he had just done there was undeniably hot, and in a way, he had returned to save me. My hero. I giggled slightly at the image of Jace in a suit of armor, clamping my lips shut when his gaze turned to mine questioningly.

"I never really went. I just went to the side so they assumed I had gone and rang Alec who got Izzy as back-up. Fat lot of help she was," he growled. "And then I followed them. I nearly blew our cover when you got hit but Alec pulled me back." He shut up swiftly, and I knew intuitively that he was hiding yet another thing.

"Jace, I can walk. I was just a little dizzy and to be totally honest, the feeling that I'm getting whilst dangling in the air isn't really helping my stomach." I waited expectantly, frowning when he didn't listen to me. I repeated my words louder.

"Oh sorry. I've never heard someone ever say something along the lines of removing my hands from them, and carrying you is actually quite pleasurable." Jace winkled at me before depositing me into the back of an unmarked car. I knew without a doubt that he was just trying to distract me off the topic of those people's motive for chasing Jace. Probably official Shadowhunter business.

Refusing to be sidetracked, I asked again. "Are you in trouble with the Shadowhunters?"

"Not here," he muttered, sneaking a quick peek at the front of the car. "You shouldn't know."

"Will I see you later?"

"I'm unpredictable, Red. It's one of my many charms, so I'll have to keep you hanging with that question." A look of conflict passed through his eyes before he brushed a curl off my face. "I didn't want to bring you into all of this."

"Well, tough. Because I'm already a part of everything and there isn't anything either of us can do about it."

"It is in your best interest to leave now, ," the driver announced although it sounded more like a demand.

"I'll go when I want to," he retorted, but he stepped back. I shut the door firmly, watching as he grew smaller, until he was just a speck in the distance.

If closed my eyes for long enough and thought of my mother hard enough, I could vaguely recall distinct features of hers before the image morphed back into me. Valentine made sure I never had the chance to forget I was the devil's spawn and that I was most likely going to follow in her footsteps and leave everyone I cared about. She left me as well, I wanted to scream, You're not the only one who's hurt. But no one ever heard me. And that was what was happening now as well.

Valentine stormed around the room, occasionally pushing an item to the floor. "Maybe if you had taken after me and not your deserter of a mother, I wouldn't have to listen to your teacher's complaining about your recently atrocious behaviour!" Valentine spluttered, his silver eyes narrowing in frustration. "Do you know how irritating it is to hear my work colleague's boasting about their excellent children and having no reply about the brilliance of you?"

I flinched at the harshness in his tone despite knowing it was only his anger speaking. We would be back to normal in a couple of hours as soon as it had blown over. I stopped myself from retaliating with this thought in mind and after apologising for being my mother's daughter and promising to not disturb him, I was free to go.

Since I was probably no fit company for anyone other than Simon, I rang him, silently praying he wasn't with Izzy. No answer. He had probably forgotten his phone somewhere or was too busy with Iz to answer it.

"Great."

I felt slightly guilty for being jealous of Izzy for stealing my best friend, but it didn't help rid myself of the pricks of loneliness attacking me. I knew I should just be happy that they were finally developing into something after years of attempting to ignore one another, but it just reminded me of how much my life sucked. Deciding my melancholy mood was only good for homework, I pulled my school bag out, trying to ignore my drawing pad that was calling out to me. Romeo and Juliet was way more important. At least we hadn't been forced to pair up; they were just disasters waiting to happen.

The only break I got from the strenuous exercise was a phone and coffee break. Yawning, I sipped the coffee and wondered if it would keep me awake for a few more hours. I checked simultaneously for any messages, only finding one from an unknown number. Weird.

Open your window.

Wow, that was vague and creepy.

Creeping over to my window, I pushed the curtain aside slightly but no stalkers sprang to attention. Risking it, I pulled my window up and poked my head out.

"Aah!" My head collided with the top of my stalker's, who was situated conveniently beneath my window. Without even asking if he could come in, Jace sprang into my room. Dazed, I watched him survey it all, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Nice. I love the posters of my slight look-alikes since you couldn't have the real thing." He pointed at the various posters of anime characters I had pinned or blu-tacked to my wall, flicking the nose of Kohaku.

"No!" I shrieked, pushing him away from it. Spirited Away was a special favourite of mine and no one was allowed to touch it, not even Simon.

He raised his arms in a placating gesture before lounging spread-eagled on my bed, pushing all the work I had meticulously laid out to one side.

"You wanted answers so I'm here. I'll answer whatever I can, but it's my choice either way," he demanded, tucking his hands behind his head. "Fire away, Kitten."

"Why are you so rubbish at pet names?" I scowled, sitting on the edge of my bed like I was the stranger here.

"On the contrary. I think I'm excellent at them."

His blasted ego! Acting nonchalant, I moved closer to him, and then when I was close enough... I shoved him hard to get him off the bed. No reaction. Groaning loudly, I flopped down next to him. "Well, that was an epic fail. You're as hard as a rock."

He arched an eyebrow at me, his lips tilting crookedly. "Why, Clary, I could've swore you were innocent in-"

"Do not continue that sentence," I threatened. "You know full well I wasn't talking about your- you know." I turned my head, reddening as I tried to keep myself from looking at him.

"My what, Ariel?"

I grasped at straws, clinging onto his words. "Ariel is nothing like me."

"How? You're both short, have red hair... admittedly, that's where the similarities end. Maybe I should call you Ursula."

We cringed at the exact same time at how awful that name was, deciding that maybe it was best to draw the line there. I took the chance as soon as it came to get back to interrogating him since it was clear he was reluctant about this entire exercise. He had probably been forced to give me answers by Izzy.

"Next question: why are Shadowhunters so secretive all the time? Do you think you're superior to us or something?" I had blurted out the first thing I had thought of with no idea as to what the consequences of it would be, but Jace didn't seem to mind it. I stared at my ceiling, trying to distinguish where the white paint had run out and cream had been used. There. The divide was clear. It had been painted only a few weeks before mum had left but the memory was fresh as though it was yesterday. In a strange way, the small gesture made it seem as though she was still here with me, watching over everything.

"We are superior to you," Jace stated simply. My mum was shaking her head at him right now, wondering where on this planet was the cause for his big head so she could destroy it and hope for the best. But what a nice head it was. "And we remain incognito to lessen the risk of people getting hurt, like what happened today. You aren't ready for that, Clary."

"Is it a case of self-defense? Because it was not my fault I hadn't anticipated being attacked by so many people!"

His reply was fast, hardly taking any time or thought. "That's the thing. I'm always prepared, it takes practice to always be vigilant. You won't ever catch me unawares."

With a sinking heart, I realised what he said was true. I had not once managed to surprise him even when I was on super-stealth mode. An advantage to my slight frame and lack of height had been that I was light on my feet, but Jace was a shadow, hiding even in plain light. I wanted to be able to do the same, and that was what spurred me on to ask my next question.

"Will you teach me how to fight?" I crossed my fingers, sitting up against my pillow to anxiously await his answer.

A single nod had me squealing like a fangirl with serious feels and he watched bemused as I threw my pillow in the air in celebration. I couldn't believe he had agreed to do it! Izzy had suggested getting Jace to teach me but I had never even contemplated the idea that it would ever go ahead. I skipped back over to him, desperately wanting to give a hug but deciding against it. I jumped on my bed instead, laughing as Jace bounced every time my feet connected with the mattress.

"Stop it, Clary," he warned me but I ignored him, continuing my pointless perusal of his downfall a.k.a. the revelation that he was a normal human being and also occasionally got annoyed just like the rest of the average homo sapiens.

He wrapped his hands around my waist, puling me back down so I was hovering in the air above him, my hair falling in messy curls and brushing his shoulder blades. A sense of timelessness befell us, or at least it did until pounding knocks at the door nearly made him drop me.

Speedily putting me down, we sat up, waiting tersely for our visitor to speak.

"Clary!" Jon shouted. "I know you're in there! And I know there's some guy there too and it isn't Simon! Open this door now!"

Exchanging identical looks of horror, I pushed Jace back towards the window, only hesitating long enough for him to whisper, "I'll let you know when our first training session is." I just nodded frantically, pulling the window up and waiting until he had left my line of sight to open my bedroom door.

"Where is he?" Jon barked, analysing my room hastily. "I told you to not invite any boys over unless I've met them and said they're okay!"

"There's no one here, Jonathan! I was watching Easy A! Maybe that's what you heard," I said, widening my eyes innocently and pointing at my open laptop.

Please don't check the laptop, please don't check the laptop, please don't check the laptop...

My mantra apparently worked because after narrowing his eyes suspiciously at me one last time, he left just after making me promise to keep the door open.

Izzy had been right about one thing: having overprotective brothers sucked.

**I was laughing so hard whilst writing most of this! You have just got to love Jace's douchbaggeriness! And yay,what do you think about the self-defense lessons?! I would go without reading for a month to have that offer... and on a completely unrelated note, have any of you watched Spirited Away or Easy A? They're both completely different, but simply epic and MY FAVOURITE MOVIES ATM! Not sure why...**

**Jordan and Clary's math tutoring will be next chapter or after that so it definitely wasn't the last we'd seen of them. More will be revealed about Clary's family (her parents) too. Ad I just wanted to clarify that the Shadowhunters in this story have no relevance whatsoever to the ones in TMI. This story consists of all my ideas, I only stole the characters, and it is all human! :)**

**Faithful reader: Any chance you could get an account so I could just PM you extra-long review replies? I think people don't like me adding it in my AN's. Your choice again, of course! Anyway, a huge hug for reviewing on time and a round of applause! I'll have more on Jaia next chapter as well as the tutoring session; personally, I'm glad you liked that because it was just something I thought would be fun to add in... and of course it's got something to do with the plot! Don't worry... you have full right to want to keep your whereabouts private! And your summary sounds amazing and intriguing, I know I would read it! Now, as I said, I suck at title's but here are some ideas: Chasing my Heart, Equilibrium, Captive of the Past, Captive of the Future... yeah, just ignore them if you want to.I tend to spout nonsense when Iit comes to titles! Keep being epic, Cherry xx**

**Thank you to all my anonymous reviewers; the fact that you take the time out to review warms my very being! XD**

**Leave a review and let me know your thoughts!**

**Thank you**

**CherrySlushLover**

**xxxx**


	7. A Tale of Impromptu Dates

**Oh my. I am speechless. You guys are FANTABULOSO! The amount of reviews, favourites and follows sends my heart aflutter and *sobs quietly in happiness* So thanknyou XD You make my day... no, scratch that, you make my life! ;D My holidays suck so far 'cause I still have to go school Iin the morning, so you guys make me actually want to wake up...**

**My fantastic beta who makes me confident enough to post chapters not riddled with typos: booklover484**

**And happy holidays! Wait, do some of you not have holidays?...**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anythin' but a cherry slush.**

**A Tale of Two Amoris**

**Chapter Seven: A Tale of Impromptu Dates**

"Why are you teaching me quadratics when I don't even understand linear equations?" Jordan complained yet again, stabbing his pen into the table, leaving a dent. I scowled at the notice board behind him, wondering why I had even agreed to this.

Oh yeah. Because I had been emotionally blackmailed into it.

"I've just been through that, Jordan. It isn't my fault you keep texting. Need I remind you I'm wasting my free time to help you?" Wow, I was even starting to sound like a teacher.

"Maia is just worried about something and asking for my input," he said absently, looking up. "She said she wanted to see me."

This was not happening. Here I was again, having to step up to the role of Relationship Advisor and there was nothing to do about it. "If she's asking to talk to you, she's trying to figure out who's more important to you: me or her. You better go," I urged, shutting the textbook shut. Honestly, having me teach him was his idea and so far, it just seemed to be causing more problems than solving them.

His phone vibrated again and he glanced at it briefly, his face turning almost comical as it dropped in horror. "Change of plans. She's coming here."

I immediately went into a frenzy, opening up the math book again and scribbling down a few notes on constructing graphs in sloppy writing, dragging him to sit down so we could look like we had been studying when she walked in, and not like we had just been discussing their relationship ups and downs.

"So, you just need to inverse the equation to end up with an answer. Obviously, you could get quadratic simultaneous equations for more marks on the exam so revise this hard," I said brightly just as the doorbell rang.

"I'll get that!" I continued cheerily, suspecting that she was watching our progress from the front window from where we could be clearly seen.

I answered and she followed me in, glowering when she thought I wasn't looking. I had always been cordial towards her and some could say we were close friends, so this was unexpected, but jealousy did strange things to people. I glanced upstairs once, looking in the general direction of Jonathan's room and thinking if he had woken up from his 'short' three hour nap. Because he was just so tired from doing nothing in school besides acting arrogant. If he wasn't awake now, I was positive he would be when the screaming match that was sure to ensue started.

It started earlier than I had anticipated, which, in other words, meant they had an argument as soon as they set eyes on each other. To be totally truthful, Jordan wasn't doing much except nodding and apologising, his dark hair flopping into his eyes every so often. I stood to the side like I wasn't there until I was drawn into the conversation.

"You would rather spend time with Clary than with your own girlfriend," Maia accused, pointing at me.

"Hey, leave me out of this. We were just trying to get better grades," I said, backing away.

Jordan widened his eyes at the thought of my inevitable departure, pleading silently with his eyes for me to not go. My phone rang temptingly as an excuse but I knew I couldn't do that to them. Damn me and my martyr of a heart. I sighed, walking back in. In a way, I missed Jace's ability to neutralise tension with just a sentence.

"Maia, I know you're worried about Jordan not spending as much time with you; there is no point in denying it. But he's just trying to get a better chance at getting into the colleges you apply to because he knows he's not as intellectual as you in that aspect. That's why he enlisted me for my help," I lied through my teeth, even though Jordan and I had already discussed this as the best way to handle the situation.

Maia's face relaxed, her mouth falling open in surprise as she turned apologetically. "You would do that for me?" She asked him, reaching for him. His smile was lopsided, meeting her halfway.

"Of course," he replied. I had to admit, the boy may have been a born liar but he did love her. It was clear that the feeling was mutual. Looking at them reading each other's soul I found myself wishing I could find something like that. Even though they didn't know it properly yet and acknowledged it only for about ten percent of their time together, Izzy and Simon had found it. I was clearly the only loner and third wheeler in the gang now.

Noticing that it was time for my exit when they started kissing, I walked backwards out of the living room, creeping upstairs to knock on Jon's door. "Jon? You awake yet?"

No answer.

Dad would be back soon and he should have known better than to stay sleeping until then. I pushed the door open, shocked when I heard a giggle and felt someone even smaller than me bump into my stomach.

"Sorry, I'm supposed to be out of here. Nice to meet you anyway," said a dark haired girl with dazzlingly blue eyes. "I'm Aline."

"Um, yeah." I think bumping into a semi-naked girl coming out of my brother's bedroom was enough of a reason for my incoherence. "I'll see you out."

After screaming a warning at my brother one last time, I led her out, pulling the door open and almost sighing in annoyance as she hugged me. We didn't know each other well enough to start exchanging embraces. Especially since I couldn't get the image of her less than decent attire out of my head from earlier.

"Clary? I was just coming by to see you," said a figure in black to my left. I recognised him as soon as I saw him, my body slumping in annoyance. I just couldn't catch a break today.

"Sebastian. Hi," I said as enthusiastically as possible.

"You didn't answer any of my calls yesterday so I thought I'd come by to see if you were okay."

Well, other than getting suspended from school, getting kidnapped, having an argument with my dad, having a weird conversation with Jace in my bedroom, planning self-defense lessons, and nearly getting caught with a boy in my room, I had obviously been free to answer Sebastian's persistent calls.

But of course I couldn't say that, and it was sweet that he had travelled this far to see me, so I replied with a simple, "Sorry, it was just a long day."

"It's fine. Do you want to grab something to eat? Aline recommended a place not too far from here," he answered amiably, stepping into my house. I vaguely remembered to not invite him to the living room where Jordan and Maia were most likely rekindling their romance.

I regarded the familiar name with a frown, noting the slight similarities between Seb and her physical appearance. They had the same pitch-black hair for one and the tanned skin. I decided to ask instead of making deductions. "Aline? Small, dark hair, blue eyes, tanned skin?"

"There's no need to get jealous," he chuckled. I was not getting jealous whatever he thought. "She's my cousin. Aline Penhallow. And so what do you say about the d- I mean, checking out that diner?"

"I'm not hungry." My response came automatically but my stomach decided that it would rumble at just that moment, contradicting my own words.

"I guess you are. Come on, let's go. I just have to pick my guitar up from Alec's and we'll go straight there." He smiled down at me and I couldn't help but think of my earlier observation of Jaia. Did Seb smile at me the same way Jordan did to Maia? Would we have a cute shipping name as well? I cringed away from the thought; the mere thought was enough to have me shivering in disgust.

I called to no one in particular that I was leaving and left a note for my dad just in case he arrived before I did. I would do everything in my power to make sure that didn't happen.

We reached Isabelle's house in record time, and it was only after I saw the building that I realised why I was so reluctant about having to come here first. Jace lived here. Taking a deep breath, I left the car and followed Sebastian to the door.

Thankfully, the person that answered the door was a Alec and not Jace.

"Clary? Why are you..." he started, changing his tune once he saw who I was with. "Oh. I'll just get it for you, Sebastian. It's not really working for me anyway, I prefer the triangle," his lips tilted wryly at his weak attempt of a joke and I smiled at the effort. As I watched him walk back into the house, I analysed the similar way he walked to Isabelle and Jace who had both had Shadowhunter training. It was strikingly similar; maybe it was a part of their family tradition.

"Good afternoon, Clary." Maryse came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel.

"You too, Maryse." I had only met Isabelle's mother once before and that had been on school premises, but I knew that she was normally away on business and only came home for short periods of time.

"How are you all doing?" She asked as casually as possible, leaning her back on the door like it was tiring for her to stay upright. It had probably been a long day.

I paused as I contemplated my answer, knowing who she meant in her question. Maryse had been a good friend of Jocelyn but it had been too long a time for me to remember. She knew exactly how my family had gone downhill after mum had left.

"We're doing... good. But dad's still suspicious that I'm going to run away too," I sighed quietly, looking slyly over her shoulder to see if Sebastian was returning. I almost missed the shifty look on Maryse's face at my words but caught her out on it just in time.

"What's wrong?"

"I'll have a word with your dad but I don't know if it's my place to say much more. You really need to talk to him," She frowned slightly and looked over her shoulder. "Not that it's much of my business but I swore to your mother I'll keep a watch out for you, and I just wanted to say to watch yourself with Verlac. He's not always what he acts like. He can be charming, but there's another side to him too. Just be careful, Clary."

"Isn't there always," I muttered almost to myself. I already was wary of Sebastian but showing that wouldn't do me much favours; her words had just confirmed that.

The man himself reappeared looking smug and carrying a case over his shoulder. After waving goodbye to everyone, he deposited the case in the back of his Ford. I twiddled my thumbs nervously until he put his hand over mine to stop it. I stopped quickly, pulling my hand as smoothly as I could from under his.

Ignoring my discomfort, he grinned widely, flashing a row of perfect teeth. "Are you ready to go inside?"

Looking up, I belatedly realised we had reached the diner. It looked pleasant enough but I disliked it with a passion, hating what it symbolised. The name, 'Couple's Paradise', was discriminative enough: were single people forbidden to eat here? Sebastian attempted to take my hand but I walked on ahead, acting like I hadn't seen his futile tries. My heart beat uncomfortably as we entered, the eyes of nearly everyone there indisputably on us for some odd reason. The looks on their face... it was almost horror.

He skipped the three couples in front of us in the queue and I was surprised to see no one retaliate at this.

"Verlac," he said quietly to the waitress, who blinked rapidly and took us to a sectioned off part of the diner. Only one couple was there, and I was glad to see I could identify them.

And then Jace turned around to give me a death glare and I took back my relief, transferring it to guilt at my assumed crime instead. But wait, what had I done wrong?

"Jace?" I questioned, walking over to him. "And Aline?" I looked at his companion, disgusted. "Weren't you in my brother's bedroom only an hour ago?"

Too late, I realised my mistake. I sounded jealous. Sebastian raised his eyebrows at my words whilst Jace looked faintly amused before returning back to his earlier anger.

"We're just friends, Clary!" Aline said brightly, blind to the unavoidable tension here. "It's okay, Jace is single!"

"That's nice to know," I said cautiously, stepping away from their table inconspicuously. Sebastian and Jace studiously ignored each other as though that could make the other disappear.

"Well, I'm just going to-" I started, only to be interrupted.

"Actually, Clary, could I speak to you?" Jace rose languidly and put a hand to my shoulder, giving me no option but to follow him. He took me to yet another secret compartment of this building, searching the area carefully for any eavesdroppers before speaking.

"We're off," he said bluntly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, nonplussed.

"The defense classes."

"Why? You're giving up on me before even trying?" I glared at him, irritated at his clear fury at me when I had nothing to do with it.

"Don't act like I'm the bad person in this," he retorted, clenching a fist around the back of a plush chair. The leather ripped under his fingertips but he was too far gone to notice. "You should have thought of it when you turned me down for that jerk out there."

"What! For your information, you said you would organize when they were and Sebastian just asked me to eat because I was hungry! I did not turn you down!"

"Really? So you didn't ignore me? I actually told you to meet me today and here I was, thinking you were probably in shock from yesterday, so I felt pity and didn't say anything. Then half an hour later, I see you on a date with Verlac. What am I supposed to think?"

I frowned, confused at his words. When had he told me? My thoughts went back to when I was with Jordan and Maia, and the message that I had to ignore. Oh.

"Jace, I can explain! I didn't see the message!"

"Whatever, your date," he said tonelessly, stalking out.

"It's not a date," I growled at his retreating back.

"I don't care."

I tried to block out the effect of his words on me, but they persisted in their aim and I left shortly after, most definitely not going to see my 'boyfriend'. For once, I was glad my dad didn't care much for me as he let me go to my room without so much of a question.

That jerk. But I couldn't bring myself to feel much animosity for him even after all of that.

Stupid jerk for making me not hate him.

There, that was better.

**The first part of this was just building up to the ending... but I still love Jaia! And any Iideas on what Sebastian and Clary's shipping name would actually be? Sebastary? Clarastian? -_-**

**Faithful Reader: I'm glad you approved of the titles! I hope the tutoring was upto your expectations (though you normally expect too much of me) and I guess the self-defense lessons are a no-go... or are they?! Mwahahaha! *scary Valentine laugh* even though I'm pretty certain he doesn't have an evil laugh! And he is definitely swimming in money, just how much we'll get to see later! Jon is epic and I love different authors depictions of him on FFN! So I'm glad you liked him! Cherry Xx**

**Anyway, what do you people think of Aline? She's always prtrayed as an evil b**** so I decided to change it up! And Iblove referencing my favourite books/ movies/ shows so if you spot one, it means you're awesome**

***cough cough* gams2000 ;D**

**Leave your thoughts please!**

**Thank you,**

**CherrySlushLover**

**Xxx**


	8. A Tale of Accidental Damage

**The reviews, follows and favourites are virtually phenomenal and keep me singing Happy for houes on end! Thank you so much to all my readers as well... 9000 of you out there so far!**

**Disclaimer: I only write TMI fanfiction for all you brilliant readers out there XD**

**A Tale of Two Amoris**

**Chapter Eight: A Tale of Accidental Damage**

I clung to the sides of the skating rink, trying to get my balance right on the ice. But yet again, I fell, falling unceremoniously onto my backside.

"Humph," I sighed, dragging myself back to the side. I would probably be black and blue tomorrow, but I was not going to let the ice get the better of me. Especially not when Simon was out there, doing manly pirouettes and smirking. Who would've thought the sport he excelled at was ice skating? I sniffed twice, blowing on my mittens in the vain hope of warming myself up, and finally realised that there was no point in this. Waving over to Simon to signal my exit, I skidded off the ice, accidentally skewering someone's toe in the process.

"I am so sorry! I honestly didn't mean to do that!"

"It's fine," replied my victim, hugging me. "I didn't know you skated, Clary! We could have gone but I don't think I will be able to now. If you don't mind, could you just help me out?" She gripped my arm and I did my best to help her hobble down to the bench. My guilt overcame my initial disgust of her behaviour, especially since I had accused her of two-timing Jace and Jon. I didn't know right now whether I was more glad she wasn't dating Jace, or whether I would have preferred her to not be dating my brother.

"I talked to Jace by the way. He really took everything out of proportion so I told him he was being unreasonable. I knew it wasn't your fault; how are you supposed to know what Sebastian's like?" Aline said calmly, pulling her left boot off. I winced as I saw the swelling already showing through her sock but she seemed ignorant of the pain, just pulling it off and surveying her bruising foot critically.

"I have no idea how you're doing that so calmly," I said, shuddering. "And you really shouldn't have said anything to Jace; he shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that."

Deciding on how best to phrase my questions, I paused, pulling off my own skates and taking my mittens off. My fingers were red with cold and I twisted them around, to the utter shock of Aline. She stopped me quickly, with a quick warning about how I could unintentionally end up fracturing my finger by twisting my hand around. Yes, she honestly did say that. And no, I didn't think it was true.

Braving myself for her refusal to answer my question, I asked hesitantly, "Why is Sebastian so bad? Everyone was acting like he was going to kill them if they didn't move out of the way." I recalled the terrified looks of all the customers yesterday and the way no one had questioned him when he wanted something. Shivering for no apparent reason, she pulled her dark hair back and let it fall through her fingers so it covered her face, and sighed.

"I don't think it's my place to tell you. Everyone has a different part in his story so I think each person will have you tell you theirs. I would have since it's a great piece of gossip but I don't really fancy the rest of the Shadowhunters coming after me."

I paused to contemplate her words and quickly surveyed her appearance; she didn't look like she was a fighter or a Shadowhunter. She did look like she was good at distracting potential male 'enemies' though. Wow, now I sounded sexist.

"I guess I can tell you my part of the story though. You'll understand why I can't say anything mean about him soon enough."

Getting myself ready for story-time, I stood from the bench and helped her up as well to make our way slowly over to the café on the right. I had been here enough times to know their hot chocolate tasted delicious after a few hours of freezing my butt off.

Glancing around suspiciously, Aline leaned towards me over the table and whispered," I wasn't born into a Shadowhunting family like everyone else was except Jace."

I opened my mouth to ask how Jace had become a Shadowhunter but she shushed me. "His story to tell, remember, Clary. Anyway, I became a Shadowhunter because of Sebastian. You need to understand, Clary, that when I was younger, I wasn't like I am now. I was bullied because of my race and I had no way to defend myself. I told Sebastian one day that I had fallen on my face when I got a black eye and I didn't know, but he followed me to school the next morning. He saw what was going on and made sure he put a stop to it and made the gang leave me alone. I wanted to be exactly like him," she said bitterly, "So I asked him where he had learnt to fight and he introduced me to the leader. Not that I ever saw his face. He just took Sebastian's word that I could be a Shadowhunter and made him train me. I didn't know then that he threatened to cut both his and my head off if I didn't work hard enough."

"Your boss sounds like a piece of work." Understatement of the decade. "But if you don't enjoy being a Shadowhunter, why do you owe Seb so much?"

"Because I wouldn't be who I am now without him. I would probably be six feet under in someone's back garden, and no one would have even cared. The Shadowhunters are the family I've never really had. My mum is too busy with work to concentrate on getting to know me."

"Your father?"

"Dead."

I stiffened immediately, cursing my big mouth. I should have known there was a reason for her not mentioning her father. Muttering now, I said, "My mum left me as well." I didn't mean to say it as though I was competing for who had the biggest sob story, I just wanted her to know she wasn't alone.

"Oh. At least I knew my father loved me, it must have been difficult to know your mum chose to leave you," Aline sympathised.

And didn't I know it. "I've had a long time to get over it. It's okay now, I've got my friends," I grinned convincingly. I was silent for a while. My head spun with the new information, but mostly with the questions raised by her statement. Aline didn't break it, deciding instead to pull a bottle of nail polish out and paint her toes. I was positive she would get on with Isabelle if they could get over the undeniable rivalry between the two.

"What?" She exclaimed as I raised my eyebrows. "I need my toes to look pretty if I need to go to hospital! Speaking of which, will you come with me since it is your fault?"

"Sure," I replied easily. She had gained a little of my respect, and I had to admit her perky nature was growing on me. "But I will injure you if you tell the nurses it was me."

"Oh look, here's my ride!" She craned her neck to stare over the booth, and I did the same. Jace walked towards us, an easy smile playing across his features, Ray-Bans covering those eyes of his. Reading my stormy expression,she hastily added, "You promised me, Clary. You cannot back out."

Resigned, I toppled back into my seat, my knee hitting the corner painfully and the rest of my hot chocolate sloshing over the sides of the cup.

"Clumsy," noticed Jace.

I glowered at him, mopping up the spill. "Your vision is clearly impaired if you think that was clumsy. I'd take those glasses off if I were you; only idiots wear glasses indoors."

It was actually a surprise that I hadn't slapped him already since he wasn't even the least bit remorseful of the accusations he had thrown at me yesterday. Keeping my biting remarks as the only true indication of my full annoyance, I helped Aline up and into the back of his car.

"Get in the front, Red," he demanded as I made to join her.

"No."

"Don't be stubborn. Give her a chance to rest her foot on the seat." He glared at me through the wing mirror and I gulped, stepping out. I hated seeming like the inconsiderate one who couldn't get over a grudge for a friend.

"Was that really so hard?" Jace smirked, gunning the engine.

"Just drive," I grumbled. Maryse's warning reappeared in my thoughts as I looked at Jace; what could she possibly mean by the fact that I had to speak to dad? I spoke to him everyday and whilst most things were inconsequential, we did occasionally even engage in bits of pointless banter. Granted, that probably happened twice a month, but I was sure if there was something he had to talk to me about, he would have just come out and said it. Valentine had never been one to mince his words.

The trip to the hospital was a fairly short one as was our stay there. They took one look at Jace and took us straight through to the treatment room; Aline had a sprained ankle from the fall she had taken and a fractured toe. She took her crutches quite happily, swinging out on them and letting out whoops of joy.

"I really am sorry. I'm not too good on the ice," I told her as we exited forty-five minutes later.

She blew away my apology with a raspberry. "Pfft, I've always wanted to break something and get crutches. And they gave me a prescription for painkillers as well so it's numb anyway."

Surprisingly, Jace hadn't really said much throughout but he spoke now, stopping me in my long journey back to his car.

"What, Jace? I need to get back to meet Simon," I grumbled.

He sneered at the sound of Simon's name but quickly sobered as I tilted my water bottle in his direction. He knew exactly what cold happen see if he pushed me too far. And laughing at Simon was a step too far.

"I can give you ice skating lessons if you want. I'm an expert," Jace boasted. Of course he was. He was an expert at everything except deflating his head.

"What, so you can accuse me again of ditching you for my boyfriend that I didn't even know I had?" I snapped. "And then you can act like nothing is wrong and everything is perfect like your hair?"

"You think my hair is perfect?"

"Shut up, Jace." I continued walking without him not knowing what Iwould do once I reached his car and Aline. Going off in a strop and asking for a ride wasn't really a possible scenario in my head.

"Wait, I'm sorry, Clary!" He screamed from behind me. "I didn't know the full story and I made assumptions." He looked at me expectantly after his apology and I exhaled, grimacing.

"Fine. I'm sorry too. I should have checked my phone and we should have argued about it more reasonably."

"We'll keep that in mind for our next argument," he said, bumping his shoulder to mine, his hands in his pockets.

"Our next one," I stated dubiously. Did he plan on having another one soon? Was he crazy or just sadly delusional?

"Of course. I'm positive that our defense lessons will be fight-free. But if you lose the bet..." he paused dramatically, "Then I doubt the argument part would be happening."

**Anonymous review replies-**

**Faith: There, you've got your defense classes back! And Jaia will be incorporated into the story just for you! I'll try and bring back the math lessons! I'm glad you liked the chapter and yeah, I think Aline deserves to be given a chance too. Do you still like her in this chapter? Teehee, glad you liked the restaurant name. And my holidays are over now, school started today... which sucks btw. I'm already tired and its just the first day back! Well, second day. And unfortunately, Sebastian is an integral part of the story so Clary will be making a lot more stupid decisions regarding him! Keep being epicly awesome, Cherry xx**

**CuriousInBuckets: yay, new reviewer! Hello! I'm so gald you enjoyed the last chapter! And I guess your question about Aline has been answered! Thank you for letting me know the shipping name :) I'm sos orry for jot having Sizzy and Magnus in this chapter, I promise I'll bring them in next chapter. It just wouldn't have fit with what I wanted to show from the fhapter. Thank you for reviewing once again, Cherry x**

**LoverGirl: Thank you for all the reviewing! You're always consistent in your support and it means a lot! Cherry x**

**And to the rest of you readers out there, I hope you enjoyed it! We're one step closer to unravelling the Sebastian mystery! For a sneak preview of the next chapter, who knows what book and chapter Jace makes eggs for Clary in TMI? You can PM or review the answer! And I'm sorry to those of you without an account who can't participate because I can't send you PMs with the sneak peek!**

**Thank you for reading and for reviewing,**

**CherrySlushLover**

**Xxx**


	9. A Tale of Enviable Lessons

**Okay, forgive me for not updating. This is a 6000 word chapter to make up for it and it's full of Clace and promised things. Still hate me? Let me go hide...**

**Currently unbetaed because I was so eager to update, so forgive any mistakes on my part and feel free to point them out or PM me :)**

**There were some recurring thoughts and questions in your reviews and PMs so I'm just going to answer them here, especially all the guest ones since I can't give you a personal reply. **

**Firstly, I can't tell you who's going to win the bet, but feel free to keep guessing! I love reading your varying opinions! I am definitely not getting rid of the lessons, you just have to read this chapter to know that! And I searched hpw to say lovers in Latin, and Amoris came up, but I've recently been told Amatores actually means lovers in latin. Thank you to the guest who told me that. However, I will not be changing the name of this story to avoid confusion with all my readers who don't have it on their alerts list. Yes, my title was inspired by A Tale of Two Cities, and I chose this particular Dickens' piece because of its relevance to TID. If you've read TID, you'll understand! Malec will definitely make an occurrence n**

**ext chapter, because of a certain idea I have spinning round right now. No spoilers! ^.^**

**There really isn't a way that I'm giving Seb and Clary a chance, CLACE ALL THE WAY! The Shadowhunters aren't a cult, they're a group of people who take the law into their own hands and serve justice where they think it's needed. Sometimes, they're wrong and Jace is the only Shadowhunter allowed to choose who he thinks is really innocent or guilty of the crime they've been accused of. I have nothing against Aline, which is why she's nice in this. I didn't mean to offend you, I just meant they normally make her Clary's rival for Jace's affections even though she is a lesbian. **

**And thank you so much to MI CRA-CRA and LOVERGIRL for your reviews, but I couldn't give you your sneak peek because you don't have an FFN account. If you're still reading though, leave a review, I really hope you've stuck by me!**

**Thank you to all the people who've reviewed, favourited, or followed, or just read, and are still reading. You are all amazing and deserve a slice of birthday cake (it was my birthday on Wednesday and my cake was in the shape of a handbag. I don't even love handbags that much, but it looked amazing!)**

**Anyway, finally we can get on with the chapter! I hope the AN clears everything up for you!**

**Without further ado, I present to you...**

**Le Disclaimer... and then the chapter! *applause***

**A Tale of Two Amoris**

**Chapter Nine: A Tale of Enviable Lessons**

After all the drama in my life for the past few days, going back to school was a welcome gift of normality. The sound of gossiping girls and arrogant boys filled my ears which I soon blocked out with my earphones. I smiled and tapped forward to the beat of the cover of _Can't Hold Us_ by Max Schneider. Don't get me wrong, I loved the Macklemore's original, but Max's voice was amazing.

Whistling, I pulled open my locker, and manoeuvred my way to the back where my English book was. I tiptoed to reach it easier and attempted to vault up on the side of the lockers to just grab the book, but fate was clearly not on my side as I fell back, the majority of the contents falling with me. And guess what? Still no English book.

A chortle to my right had me sitting up and untangling myself from my wires, attempting to look a little less flustered. Luckily, it was just Simon.

"You can't say anything, or laugh," I warned him, standing upright. "But I need you to get my book from my locker." Clearly, my height wasn't taken into consideration when assigning the locker to me.

He reached up easily and dumped the culprit of my fall into my waiting hands, grinning at my obvious dismay. I appraised him quickly, frowning as I noticed there was a larger height difference than ever before.

"Have I gone shorter, or are you just suddenly freakishly tall now?"

"Nah, I'm just taller. Not too sure about the freakish though. Girls seem to appreciate this better."

"Clearly," I started, spinning my book to highlight the words on his top, "Girls _love_ guys who think 'food is a necessity, and COD is their life'. Where do you buy these things by the way? They used to be cool, but they're getting worse by the day!"

"This shirt is legendary, Clary. But I don't expect a girl to understand. Peter bought it for me," he stated proudly.

"Peter..." I wondered out loud, "The one who has a crush on you? The one who tried to get you to play strip poker and put a camera behind you so he knew your cards? That Peter?"

"Yes," Simon snickered, "Turns out he's excellent at percussion and song-writing, so we've recruited him to play for Daylight Disaster."

"Oh. As long as there's no funny business. And since when are you called Daylight Disaster? I thought you were Tyrannical Tater Tots?"

"Yeah, we thought it made us sound immature. Our new name is badass."

"If you say so," Isabelle snorted as she walked past us. We watched soundlessly as she swivelled back round, planting her feet in front of me. "We're going out today. You, me, Maia, and if you want, Aline. Even though I can't stand her, I'm willing to make a sacrifice." A sigh escaped her lips like it was physically painful to include Aline in her plans.

"I'm sorry, " I answered, immediately contrite. "I think I've already got plans later on today, but I'll check and if I'm free, I'll let you know."

"If those plans are with Jace, forget about it. He's already given me an earful about taking up precious lesson time. I swear I've never seen him so enthusiastic about showing off his skills, and trust me, that's saying something. We can do this another time. And you can't complain once," she threatened, "Because I can't cancel on Aline now. She's too... excited about it."

"She's not bad once you get to know her," I added helpfully. "She just struggles to make friends as easily as others."

"I can see why," she remarked dryly. "But Maia said Aline likes shopping, and anyone who actually enjoys shopping with me has to be okay."

Simon stared as she walked away, his eyes wide with admiration. I nudged him, trying to recapture his attention. "Why don't you just tell her you like her already?"

He grimaced at me like I was the stupid one in this conversation, saying, "There's no way. She'd probably laser me with her eyes as soon as I stood in front of her."

"Well, it's not like you haven't kissed before. I'm sure she wants to be exclusive just as much as you do." And that's all the hinting I could give him. If he still didn't understand what I was trying to say to him, then he was extremely dense. And I wasn't responsible for his thickness either.

I headed in the opposite direction to him for English, pulling out my assignment on the way.

Wait.

Where the hell was my essay gone? Frantically, I searched through my bag and folder, looking for the neatly written papers and nearly killing myself when I remembered exactly where they were. On my coffee table at home. This was just my luck. My day had just gone from bad to worse, and I wondered whether I would get suspended again on my first day back or whether I would be expelled. And then the solution hit me. Skipping school was better than being expelled, wasn't it?

Due to my already pale complexion, feigning sickness wasn't too hard to pull off. I groaned and clutched my stomach a bit in the nurse'sroom, and after the nurse got tired of my antics (which had only taken two minutes) I was free to leave.

Since Jon had dropped me off to school today, I had a long walk ahead of me home. Ringing the alternative nearly killed me but I did so anyway, knowing I would regret trying to keep my pride when I was huffing later on, and trying to catch my breath.

Jace picked up on the fifteenth ring.

"Fray. Clearly, you're desperate to talk to me since you didn't disconnect after I ignored your call."

"You ignored my call?" I shrieked.

"Keep your top on, Red. I was kidding. What do you need?" He replied coolly. Why did he get such a kick from making me angry?

"I need a lift from school. We can even start our lesson now if you're game."

"I'm always game, Red. Whenever you are," he said slowly, making a purely innocent sentence sound dirty. I shivered at his words, taking a seat on a low bench and pulling out my lunch. I doubted I would get time to eat later.

"I'm on my way. You still there?" Jace's voice came suddenly through my phone, reminding me I hadn't cut off the conversation with him.

I quickly swallowed a bite of my cheese sandwich. "Yes. And driving whilst you're on the mobile is dangerous," I chastised him.

"Yeah, but my amazing reflexes will stop that from happening. See, I'm- oh, crap!"

"Jace?" I asked, clutching the phone like a lifeline. "Jace!"

No reply.

I had just told him talking whilst driving was dangerous and his ignorance had caused this. At least, that was what I told myself to assuage the guilt. I heard nothing more on the other end of the line so I repeated my enquiry, needing to know he was still breathing. How would I send an ambulance to him when I didn't actually know where he was? If I kept my phone on, then maybe they could trace my call.

"Jace, it's okay. I'm calling an ambulance and you're going to be fine. Oh my Gallifrey, I am so sorry! Please be okay, I swear I didn't mean to make you have an accident! If you're still awake and able to talk, please answer me!"

What if I was a murderer? What if I had caused this? I could never live with myself if he died, and all because I couldn't be bothered walking home. Granted, it was an extremely long walk but that was no excuse for my behaviour.

As soon as I heard a noise, I jumped: it had been silent for so long. What I hadn't been expected was the chuckle that grew louder with each second.

"Um, Jace? Are you going into shock?" I asked tentatively.

"It's nice to know you would be so worried about me if I was dying. I was just waiting for the inevitable declaration of love, but I think you were still too shy to say it," he laughed. He had thought that was a joke? I clenched the phone in my hand so hard; I swear it would have snapped if I was a larger human.

"You are so dead," I growled at him, but the asshole had already cut the call. Stamping my feet in frustration, I threw my bag to the floor, immediately regretting my actions when my papers spread out across the dirty slabs of stone. Aiming immediately for my art folder, I fell ungraciously to my knees and began the laborious task of returning them all to their rightful places.

It was in this state that Jace met me again, dressed as usual in black. I didn't even take time to admire how it contrasted so nicely with his golden looks before I was in front of him and slapping his cheek with a force that surprised even me.

His usually composed mask slipped slightly as shock flitted through his eyes, but it was quickly covered by the usual smirk. "Like I said, we can use your fury in a good way. Come back with me and we can work it off."

I raised my eyebrows at his suggestive tone which only increased his amusement. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Red. I meant the lessons."

"Shut up," I grumbled. "I'm happy as long as I get to hit you. You're such a jerk."

"The only reason you want to hit me is so you can touch me," he continued.

"Shut up," I repeated.

"I see that you didn't deny my statement, hence proving its trustworthiness."

"I don't feel the need to deny what is undeniably absurd," I retorted.

"It also means that you're losing the battle against me. You can't be bothered to continue denying what we both know is true," he countered.

This was really getting me pumped for our lesson. I couldn't wait to ruin his face; though maybe practising some skills in fighting would help me first. I eyed him critically, considering my chances of actually managing to hit him once when his guard was up. His muscles flexed under his top even whilst he was walking and my amazing intuition told me that the top was hiding a perfectly chiselled body. The way it clung to him definitely helped.

"Are you done sampling the goods now?"

I started at his voice, a blush spreading through my cheeks faster than Vesuvius had erupted and probably just as noticeable. Wow, if he hadn't known what was going through my head, it was definitely the obvious answer that I was checking him out. Even if I had been checking him out, it was for a purely scientific reason. Or so I told myself.

The drive to the building surprisingly took next to no time; I had assumed things would be incredibly awkward after everything that had happened, but Jace continued the conversation with an ease in which he always carried himself.

"M'lady," he grinned, sweeping an arm in front of him to introduce... _the building_?

Oh wow. I stared speechless at the intimidating building in front of me, all sunlight successfully trapped behind it, and shadows covering every surface. What didn't go wit the picture was the fact that I was almost positive I could hear the Party Rock Anthem playing from inside. What, in the name of the Doctor, was this place?

"I'm sure you're not going to learn anything from staring at it, Red, but maybe I don't know something you do. The chances of that are extremely slim, but you are so far an anomaly to me. Maybe you're just weird."

I could tell he meant his words to be insulting so I intentionally phrased my answer as such that I sound anything but offended. "Thank you so much, Jace! Boring is so normal, don't you think? Finally, someone who understands me!" I smiled brightly at him, and besides shaking his head, he had no other reaction. Ha. I had rendered him speechless.

"Changing rooms are on the left. I'll get everyone out," he pointed out as we entered.

"I don't have anything to change into."

He cursed, running a hand through his blonde mane in a nervous/irritated/unsure/angry/happy gesture I had grown used to. Hmm. Maybe he just liked to mess with his hair. I could certainly understand why, I thought as I noted its texture.

_Okay, Clary. Shut up whilst you can still think coherently._

"Just wear whatever you've got under your shirt," he shrugged, like it was no big deal to wear next to nothing in front of him. I saw the sly glint in his eye just before it had disappeared, and I stalked into the changing rooms. If he thought I would show him my fear after his little spectacle earlier, he had another thing coming.

Once I was ready in just my P.E. shorts I had found stowed at the bottom of my bag and tank top, I reconsidered whether I had been too rash in my judgement making. Was my desire to prove Jace wrong greater than the embarrassment I was sure to feel when he saw me in my current attire?

Yes, I decided. Yes, it was.

His eyes widened as he took me in and I did the same. He was dressed similarly to me, in a tank top that showcased his arms with all their strange swirling tattoos. My fingers craved to touch them, to see if they were as interesting to touch as they were to look at. Walking up to him with a confidence I surely didn't feel, I said,"So, what are we starting with?"

"First, I need to evaluate your skills. I have guessed, but it's protocol to know the level of the person you're working with." He rolled his shoulders back, jumping lightly on the balls of his feet with a lightness I tended to only apply to Jon. Maybe they had studied the same form of defence.

The best hope I had was to catch him unaware, and what better chance did I have than to hit him now whilst he was still warming up? Leaping at him, I aimed straight for his nose, imitating the countless movies I had watched when the antagonist fell to the floor after being punched in that exact spot. My knuckles stung in anticipation for the pain that was sure to go through them once my fist connected, but no pain came.

"Again," Jace grunted, blocking my hit easily. "Even the rat you hang around with can hit harder than you!"

I knew he was taunting me into using all my strength but I didn't think he realised that I was using all my force. I hesitated again, and he took this as a chance to aim a hit at me, stopping just before his fist came into contact with my stomach.

"Stop being so afraid to hit me. Trust me, nothing you put effort into can hurt me," he boasted.

I raised an eyebrow at this and he sighed, exasperated, lifting his tank top to reveal toned flesh. Not an ounce of fat sat on his hips and I glared at the formed abs, knowing how hard it was to achieve perfection. And trust me, Jace had.

"Staring, are we? You can touch if you want." He smirked, clearly enjoying my reaction.

"And risk losing the bet? No way, you're not worth it."

"Fine," he shrugged, "One day, you'll be begging to have a chance to break it. I know."

I just stared at him in exasperation, but realising that wan't getting me anywhere, I continued to attempt to lay a finger on him. Twenty five minutes later, I was exhausted and sweaty... and I still hadn't managed to hurt Jace in the slightest. He stood there having barely broken a sweat. The unfairness of life was really starting to get to me.

"Okay, what am I doing wrong?" I sighed.

"Where do we start?"

I rolled my eyes, picking up his water bottle and drinking some.

"Hey, that's my water!" He exclaimed, making to snatch it from my hands. I pursed my lips as though to spit the water into his hands and he backed away, hands held up to stop me from doing anything impulsive.

"Any more insults and I will get you back... even if I can't hit you. I will shatter you with harsh words in front of all your fans- your female fans."

Any normal person would be running in the opposite direction at my terrifying words, but oh no. Not Jace. Because he was just that awesome. Instead, he carried on like the last two minutes hadn't even happened.

"You need to learn where to hit to potentially harm your opponent. Since you can't do much physical damage, you're going to have to use your brain instead to outwit them," he started, circling around me, surveying me.

"The first point of weakness that I'm going to mention is if your opponent is physically larger than you. In your case, let's just act like they are since most people are taller than you." Before I could retort, he continued. "A knee to the stomach. If it's a guy... well, you know where to hit them, but we won't be practising that today. I want to be able to have kids by the end of this session."

"You want to have kids one day?" I asked, startled.

"I may be selfish, but how could I deny the world a chance to have more Jace's in the world? Are you offering?"

I blushed, not because I was embarrassed, but because his words had sent frogs jumping and blubbing in my stomach like they were attempting to mate. I was sure he could hear my stomach rumbling, but he smartly ignored it, taking my hands in his and pushing my fingers together to form a fist. Jace walked around so he was behind me, his chest rising with every breath he took. His arms were warm against my bare ones, and the tattoos I had only admired from a distance were now wrapped around me. They were even more intriguing from here. They were all different intertwining lines, and I could see fainter, white lines, almost like scars, below it. Unconsciously, I timed my breaths to his as he reached around me to re-enact the attack.

"Fist your hands in his shirt to make sure you don't topple over with the wind," -his lips twisted into a wry grin against my hair- "and lift your knee up to aim for his stomach. It'll wind him long enough for you to escape." He grabbed both my hands into one of his now, using the other to push my knee up. "Exactly like that."

My breathing hitched. He was far too close to me and his hand faltered on my thigh as he dropped my leg back down. No one moved. My hair blew around me as he exhaled in a rush, my fingers flexing against his.

All too soon, he pushed away from me, the cold air hitting my back giving me the shock I needed to clear my head from whatever the hell had just happened.

"It's helpful if you don't do that with them though," Jace said rapidly, grinning to alleviate the tension in the air. "They would use your own reactions against you. It's best you move away from them as soon as you've hit them."

I snorted at his words. "I would have moved if you had let me!"

"I somehow doubt that statement," he retorted.

I blew my hair out my face, moving towards him. "You infuriate me, Jace Herondale." I sent my knee upwards in a perfect arch to connect with his stomach, and I laughed in victory when I finally met my mark. Jace didn't bend over and clutch his stomach like I had assumed he would though. Maybe movies weren't as accurate as I had initially thought.

"That's what you should do," he nodded approvingly. "Although try and run before you do your victory dance. I think that would make more sense."

I think I just had to accept it. Even with training, I would never be able to physically hurt Jace. The though in itself was depressing.

"Next move?" Now I had mastered this, I needed to try and move onto something more my forte. No offence to Jace, but my height didn't really help with the move. It was hard just lifting it to reach his stomach!

"Now a safety caution. You attempted to punch me in the nose earlier. Don't ever do that again. You can push the cartilage into their brain and that can kill them or worse. If you think there's nothing else to do, still don't do it. Scream instead, because you're good at that."

The seriousness of his words hadn't been reduced by his parting sentence and I shivered at the thought that he had attempted the same thing as me, and it had resulted in death. He spoke as if from experience and the haunted look in his eyes scared me more than his words ever could.

"No punching the nose, despite what everyone says. Got it," I gulped.

He smiled slightly, running a hand through his hair that had begun to stick to his forehead. "Well, I would say that this session has been an unequivocal success. I am dying in anticipation for the next one," he remarked sarcastically.

"And I didn't lose the bet. That's an added bonus."

"Yet," he said smugly. "Get changed and we'll go eat. I'm sure I heard your belly rumbling earlier."

So he had heard it. Without answering, I spun on my heel back to the shower. I peeled off my clothes hastily, reminding myself that it made sense to pack a spare set of clothes wherever I went now. This was just disgusting. I didn't even bother stuffing my tank top back into my bag, throwing it into the bin at the side instead. I slipped my bra and shirt back over my head, cringing a bit when I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked even worse than earlier, and that was saying something. Oh well. At least I was clean, and my hair didn't look so bad any more.

Jace looked flawless as usual when I exited the place, leaning casually against the wall. As soon as he saw me, he sighed dramatically like he had been waiting for ages.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked first, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"For what?" I replied stupidly.

"To eat, Clary. Like we discussed."

"Jeez, I forgot! No need to be horrible! Is it possible for you just to drop me home? I don't really fancy going anywhere like this."

He scrutinised me carefully before replying in the affirmative. "I get your point. Come on, you can come to mine."

Though I was insanely curious about where he lived normally, I shook my head. "Just drop me home."

"So your dad can ask you why you're not still in school? It's only 1:00."

"Really?" I glanced at my watch, which proved that he was telling the truth. "I thought it had been more that two hours."

"Well, it wasn't. Now, are you coming or not? I'm getting tired waiting for you to make your mind up."

Scowling, I followed him to his car and dumped my bag in the back before climbing into the front.

"You're not excited about going to my house?" Jace asked randomly five minutes later, frowning.

"Not particularly," I lied. "I know you live occasionally at Izzy's house but you moved out two years ago. I doubt yours is anything to boast about after the Institute."

"Red, it's not about the house, it's about who lives in it. And in this case, it's me. How are you not in the slightest bit curious?" He seemed genuinely frustrated about my lack of enthusiasm and I continued the façade, enjoying riling him up.

"Please, you're not that exciting. And besides, I like Izzy more than you, even if she spouts hot and cold with-" I shut my mouth quickly, cursing my loud mouth.

"With Simon? Yeah, she's never been one for long-term relationships. I was surprised when she even got with him in the first place."

Growing angry on behalf of Simon who was the definition of awesomeness, I fumed, "They're meant for each other, okay? And anyone who can't see that is stupid!"

Silence, and then, "I didn't say anything against the rat- I mean, Simon. I just said she normally goes for boys who piss off Maryse and Robert. He's the boy you would take to pretend you date nice guys."

"Oh. That makes sense." It felt sacrilegious to say that, but it was true. "I definitely wouldn't take you to see my dad, but my dad doesn't really like anyone, not even Simon."

"So you wouldn't ever introduce me to your dad?" He gasped like I'd offended him. Pfft. Like I cared. "You would leave me alone, and I would curse my feelings because I couldn't have you _because of your dad?_"

"That's a moot point since you already know my dad. And it's also not a matter of great importance to me since you and me," I gestured between us, "Never going to happen."

"You say that now..." he trailed off, winking at me. "We both know you're close to losing the bet. You were checking me out all day."

"Don't start this again, Jace. It's clearly something you've made up- a figment of your imagination."

We continued arguing the same point all the way to his front door so I had no time to inspect his apartment. If someone had told me this apartment was occupied and I hadn't met Jace, I would have said they were lying though. The walls were painted pastel colours only, and only the basic necessities for living a decent life sat atop the one cabinet in the living room. There weren't even any odd socks or dirty washing lying about. I compared Jace's entire apartment to Jon's bedroom alone, and felt cheated. Cleaning would be so much easier if Jon was more like Jace.

_Working would also be more difficult if Jon looked like Jace._

Eww, I couldn't believe I had even thought that. Shivering in disgust, I walked into the kitchen. Again, I was met by shiny counter-tops and immaculately mopped floors.

"Okay, tell me your secret. You have a cleaner, don't you?" It was impossible for him to keep everything so perfect all the time.

"Nope. I like things clean."

"Do you suffer from OCD?" I questioned again, swiping a finger across the side of the sink. Not even a sliver of soap scum.

"No. Like I said, I like things clean," he repeated.

"You must have hated my bedroom then," I muttered, thinking back to all the colours and papers I had strewn over the floor daily. My bed was made only when I had time in the morning; if I was rushing (which I usually was) I would just throw the covers over in the afternoon.

"I loved your bedroom," he winked at me. "Anyway, what do you want to eat? Eggs?"

His eyes were alight with excitement with the thought of making me eggs (for some odd reason) and it killed me to shake my head, but I did. One thing Valentine had taught me was to never change myself for anyone. Which was probably why he was such a dickhead, and mum had left him.

"I don't like eggs," I grimaced. "Beans on toast?"

"A woman with simple taste. I'm sure I can manage that," he smirked devilishly, throwing bread into a toaster I hadn't even noticed until now. Which was really no surprise since it was white and therefore blended in perfectly with its surroundings.

"II would hope so."

Eating with Jace had a certain feel to it; it was almost domestic. He munched away, constantly teasing me about the size of my appetite whilst I occasionally tgrew beans at him, an attack I thought he took surprisingly well.

As soon as he picked my up and took it to the sink, I ran after him and stopped him from turning on the water.

"Whatever you may think, it isn't going to kill anyone if you leave the dishes for a few hourrs. If they're there all night, I will be seriously impressed."

I laughed at the look of horror on his face at my dauntings words, his gaze flitting from me to the sink. He shrugged nonchalantly, turning his back to it. "Works for me. Do you want to go home now?"

"Do you have any movies?" I replied, the thought of returning home depressing me.

"No chick flicks. I've got... The Karate Kid? The newer version?" I followed him into the living room, about to criticise his tiny movie collection, when his phone rang.

He answered it immediately, only sparing me one glance before he returned to the passageway. Heart thumping, I crept over to the door. His voice was lowered to avoid being overheard, but I managed to catch the main gist of the conversation.

"I told you I wasn't taking on that case. Don't argue with me." A pause, and then, "Sebastian's lying. I checked the file. Luke Garroway is innocent. The Clave was right. Don't ask me again. I don't care if everyone thinks I'm letting my personal feelings get in the way of the case, I assure you it isn't that. If I hear anyone else has gone after Mr Garroway, I will deal with them personally. Make sure you relay that message." His voice was low, threatening, and the sheer power he managed to convey was enough to have me backing away from the door, making me nearly trip over my own feet as I walked backwards to the couch.

I wiped my moist palms on my jeans, smiling widely as Jace returned. "Who was that? An angry ex?"

I was bewildered at how quickly he agreed, and how easily he lied to me. There was only a slight hesitation before he replied, "They were under the misconception that I'd planeed a date with them this afternoon. I put her straight."

I seconded that.

The Karate Kid played on screen, and when the credits rolled two hours later, I was none the wiser. Why was there so much animosity directed towards Sebastian? Who had Jace been talking to? Who were the Clave? And what was Luke, the man I knew to have left with my mum years ago, being blamed for something that had clearly happened in this area, and recently?

**Whoop, it's done! *wipes forehead in relief* I know, I didn't have much of Sizzy, or Jaia, or Malec in this chapter! But there was a lot of Clace and I hope that's enough! Oh wow, I loved writing the sexual tension-ly Clace, I was shaking with excitement! Sebastian is the question on everyone's minds and all I can say to you is: just hold on a while longer! All will be answered, even though I'm sure at least one of you has guessed Sebastian's story already! Oh, what did you think of the self defense lesson? I was so happy with it, and I hope it lived up to the hype! And I guess you finally realise what the egg question in my AN last chapter was about. I made Clary be strong and face up to Jace in my version of events though. And beans on toast is scrumptious, so no one can hate on it. Damn, now I want to eat beans on toast...**

**Quick question: Do you prefer long chapters/ stories, or does the length of a story put you off reading it? I need to figure out the perfect length for a chapter, so I'm hoping you can help XP**

**Until the next update,**

**CherrySlushLover**

**xxx**


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